Skip to main content
  • Neurology.org
  • Journals
    • Neurology
    • Clinical Practice
    • Education
    • Genetics
    • Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
  • Online Sections
    • Neurology Video Journal Club
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
    • Neurology: Clinical Practice Accelerator
    • Practice Buzz
    • Practice Current
    • Residents & Fellows
    • Without Borders
  • Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Disputes & Debates
    • Health Disparities
    • Infographics
    • Neurology Future Forecasting Series
    • Null Hypothesis
    • Patient Pages
    • Topics A-Z
    • Translations
    • UDDA Revision Series
  • Podcast
  • CME
  • About
    • About the Journals
    • Contact Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Center

Advanced Search

Main menu

  • Neurology.org
  • Journals
    • Neurology
    • Clinical Practice
    • Education
    • Genetics
    • Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
  • Online Sections
    • Neurology Video Journal Club
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
    • Neurology: Clinical Practice Accelerator
    • Practice Buzz
    • Practice Current
    • Residents & Fellows
    • Without Borders
  • Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Disputes & Debates
    • Health Disparities
    • Infographics
    • Neurology Future Forecasting Series
    • Null Hypothesis
    • Patient Pages
    • Topics A-Z
    • Translations
    • UDDA Revision Series
  • Podcast
  • CME
  • About
    • About the Journals
    • Contact Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Center
  • Home
  • Latest Articles
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Neurology Video Journal Club
  • Residents & Fellows

User menu

  • Subscribe
  • My Alerts
  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
Neurology
Home
The most widely read and highly cited peer-reviewed neurology journal
  • Subscribe
  • My Alerts
  • Log in
Site Logo
  • Home
  • Latest Articles
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Neurology Video Journal Club
  • Residents & Fellows

Share

July 05, 2011; 77 (1) Articles

Long-term efficacy of sodium oxybate in 4 patients with chronic cluster headache

R. Khatami, S. Tartarotti, M.M. Siccoli, C.L. Bassetti, P.S. Sándor
First published May 25, 2011, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e31822313c6
R. Khatami
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
S. Tartarotti
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
M.M. Siccoli
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
C.L. Bassetti
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
P.S. Sándor
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Full PDF
Citation
Long-term efficacy of sodium oxybate in 4 patients with chronic cluster headache
R. Khatami, S. Tartarotti, M.M. Siccoli, C.L. Bassetti, P.S. Sándor
Neurology Jul 2011, 77 (1) 67-70; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31822313c6

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Permissions

Make Comment

See Comments

Downloads
369

Share

  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Disclosures
  • CME Course
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Abstract

Background: Cluster headache (CH) manifests with periodic attacks of severe unilateral pain and autonomic symptoms. Nocturnal attacks may cause severe sleep disruption. In about 10%of cases, patients present with a chronic form (CCH), which is often medically intractable. Few attempts have been made to improve headache via pharmacologic modulation of sleep.

Methods: In an open-label study, 4 patients with CCH and disturbed sleep received increasing dosages of sodium oxybate (SO), a compound known to consolidate sleep and to increase slow-wave sleep. Response to SO was monitored by serial polysomnography, and actimetry, along with pain and sleep diaries.

Results: SO was effective in all 4 patients as shown by an immediate reduction in frequency (up to 90%) and intensity (>50%) of nocturnal pain attacks and improved sleep quality. These effects were long-lasting in 3 patients (mean 19 months, range 12–29 months) and transient (for 8 months) in one patient. Long-lasting improvement of daytime headaches was achieved with a latency of weeks in 2 patients. SO was safe, with mild to moderate adverse effects (dizziness, vomiting, amnesia, weight loss).

Conclusion: SO may represent a new treatment option to reduce nocturnal and diurnal pain attacks and improve sleep quality in CCH. These data also suggest the interest of treating primary headache syndromes by sleep-manipulating substances.

Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that oral SO at night improves sleep and reduces the intensity and frequency of headaches in patients with CCH.

Footnotes

  • Editorial, page 16

  • CCH=
    chronic cluster headache;
    CH=
    cluster headache;
    EDS=
    excessive daytime sleepiness;
    ESS=
    Epworth Sleepiness Scale;
    MWT=
    Maintenance of Wakefulness Test;
    PSG=
    polysomnography;
    SO=
    sodium oxybate;
    SWS=
    slow-wave sleep.

  • Received April 21, 2010.
  • Accepted December 29, 2010.
  • Copyright © 2011 by AAN Enterprises, Inc.
View Full Text

AAN Members

We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.

Google Safari Microsoft Edge Firefox

Click here to login

AAN Non-Member Subscribers

Click here to login

Purchase access

For assistance, please contact:
AAN Members (800) 879-1960 or (612) 928-6000 (International)
Non-AAN Member subscribers (800) 638-3030 or (301) 223-2300 option 3, select 1 (international)

Sign Up
Information on how to subscribe to Neurology and Neurology: Clinical Practice can be found here 

Purchase
Individual access to articles is available through the Add to Cart option on the article page.  Access for 1 day (from the computer you are currently using) is US$ 39.00.  Pay-per-view content is for the use of the payee only, and content may not be further distributed by print or electronic means.  The payee may view, download, and/or print the article for his/her personal, scholarly, research, and educational use.  Distributing copies (electronic or otherwise) of the article is not allowed.

Letters: Rapid online correspondence

  • Sodium oxybate for cluster headache. Possible mechanisms of action are as follows
    • Gautam Ganguly, Physician, Neurology Consultants Medical Groupgangulyg@hotmail.com
    Submitted August 23, 2011
  • Sodium oxybate for cluster headache prevention- The new kid on the block?
    • GAUTAM GANGULY, Physician, Neurology Consultants Medical Groupgangulyg@hotmail.com
    Submitted August 23, 2011
Comment

REQUIREMENTS

You must ensure that your Disclosures have been updated within the previous six months. Please go to our Submission Site to add or update your Disclosure information.

Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.

If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.

Submission specifications:

  • Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
  • Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
  • Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
  • Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
  • Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.

More guidelines and information on Disputes & Debates

Compose Comment

More information about text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Author Information
NOTE: The first author must also be the corresponding author of the comment.
First or given name, e.g. 'Peter'.
Your last, or family, name, e.g. 'MacMoody'.
Your email address, e.g. higgs-boson@gmail.com
Your role and/or occupation, e.g. 'Orthopedic Surgeon'.
Your organization or institution (if applicable), e.g. 'Royal Free Hospital'.
Publishing Agreement
NOTE: All authors, besides the first/corresponding author, must complete a separate Publishing Agreement Form and provide via email to the editorial office before comments can be posted.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Vertical Tabs

You May Also be Interested in

Back to top
  • Article
    • Abstract
    • METHODS
    • DISCUSSION
    • AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
    • DISCLOSURE
    • Footnotes
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Disclosures
  • CME Course

More Online

CME Course

Association Between Fluctuations in Blood Lipid Levels Over Time With Incident Alzheimer Disease and Alzheimer Disease–Related Dementias

Dr. Sevil Yaşar and Dr. Behnam Sabayan

► Watch

Related Articles

  • Targeting sleep disruption using sodium oxybate in chronic cluster headache prophylaxis

Topics Discussed

  • Cluster headache
  • Insomnia
  • Class IV

Alert Me

  • Alert me when eletters are published

Recommended articles

  • Editorials
    Targeting sleep disruption using sodium oxybate in chronic cluster headache prophylaxis
    Stephen D. Silberstein, Matthew S. Robbins et al.
    Neurology, May 25, 2011
  • Article
    Cluster headache and depression
    Mark A. Louter, Leopoldine A. Wilbrink, Joost Haan et al.
    Neurology, September 30, 2016
  • Articles
    Diminished nocturnal lipolysis in cluster headache
    A sign of central sympathetic dysregulation?
    Eva Laudon Meyer, Elisabet Waldenlind, Claude Marcus et al.
    Neurology, November 10, 2003
  • Articles
    Cognitive processing is involved in cluster headache but not in chronic paroxysmal hemicrania
    S. Evers, B. Bauer, B. Suhr et al.
    Neurology, July 01, 1999
Neurology: 101 (14)

Articles

  • Ahead of Print
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Popular Articles
  • Translations

About

  • About the Journals
  • Ethics Policies
  • Editors & Editorial Board
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

Submit

  • Author Center
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Information for Reviewers
  • AAN Guidelines
  • Permissions

Subscribers

  • Subscribe
  • Activate a Subscription
  • Sign up for eAlerts
  • RSS Feed
Site Logo
  • Visit neurology Template on Facebook
  • Follow neurology Template on Twitter
  • Visit Neurology on YouTube
  • Neurology
  • Neurology: Clinical Practice
  • Neurology: Education
  • Neurology: Genetics
  • Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
  • AAN.com
  • AANnews
  • Continuum
  • Brain & Life
  • Neurology Today

Wolters Kluwer Logo

Neurology | Print ISSN:0028-3878
Online ISSN:1526-632X

© 2023 American Academy of Neurology

  • Privacy Policy
  • Feedback
  • Advertise