pain associated with the head

Question 1

what is orofacial pain?

Answer 1

pain arising in the mouth, jaw and face

Question 2

what are the painful conditions of the trigeminal system?

Answer 2

1. Trigeminal Neuralgia
2. Headache
3. Migraine
4. Temporomandibular disorders
5. Myofascial pain
6. Dental pain

Question 3

what is the effect of injury to the brain?

Answer 3

-causes an altered brain function rather than pain itself

Question 4

what do the 1st order neurones in the trigeminal system do?

Answer 4

-they travel from the face to the pars interpolaris and pars caudalis of the medulla/upper cervical cord

Question 5

what do the 2nd order neurones in the trigeminal system do?

Answer 5

ascend contralaterally to the thalamus via the trigemino-thalamic tract

Question 6

what do the 3rd order neurones in the trigeminal system do?

Answer 6

project to the cortex

Question 7

what do 1st 2nd and 3rd order neurones (aka the 5th cranial nerves) innervate?

Answer 7

specialised structures i.e.

-tooth pulp

Question 8

what are the 6 causes of headaches?

Answer 8

1. Traction or dilatation of intracranial or extracranial arteries.
2. Traction of large extracranial veins
3. Compression, traction or inflammation of cranial and spinal nerves
4. Spasm and trauma to cranial and cervical muscles.
5. Meningeal irritation and raised intracranial pressure
6. Disturbance of intracerebral serotonergic projection

Question 9

what is the role of serotonin?

Answer 9

• it is a neurotransmitter for transmitting pain signals.

- unstable transmission lowers the threshold of the migraine

Question 10

there are 7 classes of serotonin (5-HT) receptors. How many of these are involved in migraine pain?

Answer 10

2

Question 11

during a migraine are serotonin levels high or low in the blood?

Answer 11

low due to low blood pH

Question 12

what is sinus pain?

Answer 12

pain behind the forehead and cheekbones

Question 13

what is cluster pain?

Answer 13

pain in and around one eye

Question 14

what is tension pain?

Answer 14

pain like a band squeezing the top of the head

Question 15

what is migraine pain?

Answer 15

pain, nausea and visual changes

Question 16

how long does acute tension pain last?

Answer 16

less than 15days per month

Question 17

what part of the head do migraines affect?

Answer 17

half of the head

Question 18

how long do migraines last

Answer 18

4hrs-3 days

Question 19

symtpoms of migraine

Answer 19

aura
nausea
vomiting light sound and smell sensitivity

Question 20

what triggers a migraine

Answer 20

food 
food additives 
sleep 
stress 
female hormones 
family hsitory 
medications 
noise light 
exertion

Question 21

what is an aura

Answer 21

events that hapen before actual migraine pain develops

Question 22

examples of auras

Answer 22

sctoma 
fortification 
scintilla 
unilateral paresthesia 
hallucinations 
hemianopsia

Question 23

positive neurological symptoms of a migraine

Answer 23

visual flashes, spots or zig zag lines

travelling tingling sensations

Question 24

what are the negative neurological synmptoms of migraine

Answer 24

visual blind spots
numbness
speech or words finding problems
trouble thinking

Question 25

what is allodynia?

Answer 25

when a painful stimulus hurts more than it usually would

Question 26

how long do cluster headaches last?

Answer 26

15mins-3hrs and happens at around the same time each day on the same sidw

Question 27

what are symptoms of cluster headaches?

Answer 27

watering eyes 
nasal stiffniness 
runny nose 
red eye 
swollen eyelids 
sweating

Question 28

what group of people are migraines more common in?

Answer 28

young females

Question 29

what group of people are cluster headaches more common in?

Answer 29

male middle- aged smokers

Question 30

what does a cluster headache feel like?

Answer 30

stabbing pain

Question 31

what group of people typically experience trigeminal neuralgia?

Answer 31

middle aged/ elderly women

Question 32

what is the characteristics of trigeminal neuralgia?

Answer 32

electric shock like pain on one or both sides of the face

sharp stabbing or burning sensation

Question 33

what effect does MS have on trigeminal neuralgia?

Answer 33

MS destorys the myelin sheath protecting the nerve fibres making them less responsive aka dead

Question 34

what are the branches of the trigeminal nerve?

Answer 34

opthalmic nerve
maxillary nerve
mandibular nerve

Question 35

what drugs work solely for the prophylactic therapy of migraines?

Answer 35

antiepileptic drugs e.g. gabapentin
alpha 1 and beta 1 receptor antagonists
amitriptyline

Question 36

what drugs work solely for the acute therapy of migraines?

Answer 36

triptains (Serotonin reuptake inhbiitors i.e. 5ht receptor agonists)
gepants

Question 37

what drugs work for both the prophylactic and acute therapy of migraines?

Answer 37

NSAIDS- naproxen for prophylactic, ibuprofen and diclofenac

ergot serivatives- methysergide for prophylactic and ergotamine

Question 38

how do triptans work?

Answer 38

1. intracranial vasoconstriction
2. inhibition of neurotransmssion in the trigemnocervical complex
3. inhibtion of release of pro-inflammatory and vasoactive mediators therefore decrease pain transmission
4. potentially cross BBB
5. relieve from pain and nausea associated with migraine