[Drug treatment of migraine in children: state of the art].

Migraine, according to the criteria of the International Headache Society, occurs in about 5-10% of children. Preventive therapy includes identification of migraine precipitants, possible adjustments in lifestyle, appropriate management of acute headache, and when necessary the use of pharmacologic agents. It should be started if migraine attacks are severe or frequent. Non-pharmacologic prophylactic treatment is the modality of choice, based on relaxation or biofeedback. Despite its high incidence, only a few controlled trials have investigated the prophylactic treatment of migraine in children. Only flunarizine (5 mg/day) has been shown to be effective in two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Some evidence also exists that propranolol (60 mg/day) and pizotifen (0.5-1.5 mg/day) are effective. For all other drugs studied in migraine prophylaxis, the results remain vague (e.g. amitriptyline), or suggest inefficacy (e.g. clonidine, tryptophane). Most of the drugs used in the treatment of migraine in children are well tolerated. The most common adverse effects are drowsiness and bodyweight gain.