PhD defence: Ida Stisen Fogh-Andersen
Neuromodulation as treatment for chronic cluster headache
Info about event
Time
Location
Auditorium G206-142, Aarhus University Hospital and online
On Thursday 31 October at 14:00, Ida Stisen Fogh-Andersen defends her PhD dissertation entitled "Treatment of Chronic Cluster Headache with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Occipital Nerve Stimulation".
Chronic cluster headache ranks among the most severe pain conditions known to man. Patients experience excruciatingly painful headache attacks, often described as a knife stabbing the eye. Sometimes, patients suffer from these headache attacks multiple times a day. For some patients, the conventional medical treatment options fail to provide sufficient relief. For this group of patients, a treatment modality called neuromodulation may be an option. Neuromodulation is a therapy where a nerve structure stimulated by weak electrical currents. Several smaller studies have shown that electrical stimulation of the so-called occipital nerves at the back of the head - occipital nerve stimulation (ONS), where a stimulation electrode in implanted under the scalp - can prevent the painful cluster headache attacks in patients where other treatment options seem exhausted.
A new PhD project from Aarhus University, Health, systematically investigates the effect of ONS as a preventive treatment for patients with severe chronic cluster headache. The dissertation presents a database study of the clinical effect on patients already undergoing ONS treatment. It also includes an examination of the efficacy of a simpler, non-invasive stimulation, where the occipital nerves are stimulated through the skin of the scalp, and whether the effect of this transcutaneous stimulation can predict the effect of the implanted ONS electrode.
Finally, the results of a large randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the first of its kind, are presented, where ONS is compared to an inactive placebo treatment.
The summary is written by the PhD student.
The defence is public and takes place in Auditorium G206-142, Aarhus University Hospital and online (https://aarhusuniversity.zoom.us/j/63721741964). Please see the press release for more information.
Contact
PhD student Ida Stisen Fogh-Andersen
Mail: isfa@clin.au.dk
Phone: (+45) 20655581