NeuroNews

REM Sleep and Headache: New Research

The American Headache Society just completed its 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC, which ran from June 2nd through June 5th.  Our own Dr. Winegarner presented a scientific poster at that meeting.  The poster related to his ongoing research – looking into the relationship between sleep and headache.  It is the first of several anticipated scientific posters which MidAmerica Neuroscience Institute will generate on that subject.
This specific poster presented the fact that we were unable to identify any clear relationship between REM Sleep (the stage of sleep in which we dream) and the occurrence of headaches.  This implies that the brain circuitry involved in REM sleep is not also involved in the generation of headaches.  This is an important piece of research because it had been previously assumed that REM sleep was closely related to headaches. 
Future posters will focus on other aspects of sleep and sleep stages to try and determine if any of those areas show a clear relationship to headaches.  The type of headache that we are focusing on specifically is chronic daily headache or migraine headache with or without aura. 
Other scientific presentations at the AHS meeting centered around the discussion that there is probably no need to admit headache patients to the hospital for treatment in most cases - and that outpatient management is equal or superior to such admission.  This is a philosophy we have pursued at the Headache Center at MidAmerica Neuroscience Institute for quite some time; trying to manage headaches strictly as an outpatient phenomenon, and avoid the costs and risks to the patient involved in hospitalizations.  It is nice to see a growing body of data supports this particular idea. 
Other major topics discussed at the meeting were the proper approach to diagnosis and treatment of several very difficult headache disorders, such as transverse sinus thrombosis headaches. Attendees were present from all over the world and most of the top names in headache treatment and scientific research were present, so the discussions were lively and everyone was brought up to date.  The most important thing we all learned is how much we have yet to learn.