Does the efficacy of different doses of Botulinum neurotoxin in chronic migraine change in terms of age and sex?

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Botulinum toxin A (BoNTA) treatment at different doses according to age and sex. Methods: In this study, 53 patients diagnosed as chronic migraine (CM) were evaluated. The patients were divided into four groups. Group 1a (n=13) were elderly patients who received 5 U BoNTA. Group 1b (n=13) were elderly patients who received 2.5 U BoNTA. Group 2a (n=14) were young patients who received 5 U BoNTA. Group 2b (n=13) were young patients who received 2.5 U BoNTA. In all patients, the number of headache days and the severity of pain were compared before and after the treatment. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the number of headache days and the severity of pain in group 1a, group 1b, and group 2a at 3-month post-treatment (p<0.05). In the comparison between the groups, there was a statistically significant decrease in pain intensity in group 1b compared to group 2b in which 2.5 U BoNTA was applied (p<0.05). Conclusion: In the treatment of CM, 5 U BoNTA applications were found to be an effective treatment method in both young and old population. However, the efficacy of 2.5 U of BoNTA treatment was seen to be superior in the elderly population compared to the younger population. © 2020 by the University of Health Sciences Turkey.