Key clinical point : Both cinnarizine and amitriptyline effectively improved migraine symptoms in children and adolescents with migraine, but amitriptyline was a more preferable treatment option since it reduced headache frequency and duration more effectively than cinnarizine.
Major finding: Amitriptyline was more effective than cinnarizine in reducing headache frequency at 4 weeks (mean difference [MD] −8.81 attacks/months; P = .004) and headache duration at 4 (MD −123.0 minutes; P = .017), 8 (MD −110.3 minutes; P = .033), and 12 (MD −123.3 minutes; P = .018) weeks. However, there were no significant differences in headache severity and migraine-related disability between the groups at 4, 8, and 12 weeks (all P > .005).
Study details: Findings are from a randomized, double-blind controlled trial including 43 children with migraine (age 4-17 years) who were randomly assigned to receive cinnarizine (n = 22) and amitriptyline (n = 21).
Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Olfat M, Hosseinpour S, Masoumi S, et al. A comparative study on prophylactic efficacy of cinnarizine and amitriptyline in childhood migraine: A randomized double-blind clinical trial. Cephalalgia. 2024 (Apr 20). doi: 10.1177/03331024241230963 Source