Update of New Daily Persistent Headache

Abstract

Purpose of Review The diagnostic criteria of new daily persistent headache (NDPH) have been revised since 2013. The current review focused on the progress of NDPH research over the last few years. Recent Findings Various new triggers and different NDPH mimics have been reported. The association with both cephalic and extracephalic pathologies suggests that NDPH is rather a syndrome with more than one disease mechanism. Recent clinical studies confirmed that migrainous headache remained the most prominent phenotype of NDPH, echoing the change of the diagnostic criteria in 2013. Diagnostic workup, including imaging studies, was unremarkable, except serving to exclude secondary etiologies. Studies on treatment options have yet shown promising targets, and randomized clinical trials are still lacking. Summary Multiple mechanisms, both cranial and systemic, may be involved synergically in the generation of NDPH-like headaches. The search for effective treatment options should base on better understanding of disease mechanisms.

Post-COVID-19 headache- NDPH phenotype: a systematic review of case reports

“…More case studies should be written and published on the same subject so that a large systematic review could be conducted. Only case reports were included in this review, as NDPH is a rare condition and epidemiological studies and systematic reviews on it are limited ( 36 ). Selection bias, heterogeneity in terms of clinical presentation, patient characteristics, treatment approaches, and outcome reported, limited generalizability, reporting bias, and publication bias are the general limitations of systematic reviews of case reports.…”

Persistent headache and chronic daily headache after COVID-19: a prospective cohort study

“…Systemic viral conditions have been reported to be one of the most frequent triggers for the development of NDPH [ 33 , 34 ]. Although there have been some reports of cases of NDPH after COVID-19 [ 23 , 35 – 38 ], little is known about its incidence among patients who had COVID-19.…”

“…Although 12 of the patients experienced 90 days of pain over the three months after their COVID-19 infection started, the authors did not have any information about whether their pain was continuous. Nonetheless, NDPH is a concept that is still being developed [ 34 ]. The ICHD3 criteria are better than those of the previous classification, but perhaps do not take all patients into consideration.…”

Refractory Headaches

“…With the new expanded criteria in ICHD-3, which includes NDPH with migrainous features, it is expected that the prevalence may rise. 2 83 There is a wide age range of onset from 8 to 76 years (median age of 28 years old); it tends to affect children more commonly. 66 It also affects women more commonly than men.…”