Primary Outcome Measures:
- Number of headache days as measured by the Headache Diary [ Time Frame: Day 30 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Impact of headache symptoms as measured by the HIT-6 questionnaire [ Time Frame: Day 0, Day 30 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Cognitive function as measured by Mental Efficiency Workload Test (MEWT) [ Time Frame: Day 0, Day 10, Day 30 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Subject satisfaction with therapy as measured by Satisfaction with Medication questionnaire [ Time Frame: Day 30, Day 90 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Quality of life as measured by Headache Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (MSQ) [ Time Frame: Day 0, Day 30, Day 90 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Sustained treatment effect as measured by the MEWT and Headache Diary [ Time Frame: Day 0, Day 10, Day 30 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Naratriptan has demonstrated efficacy in relieving headache. Other studies have demonstrated that primary headaches with at least one headache feature are likely to respond to triptans. In addition, there are anecdotal reports of triptans being effective in post traumatic headaches, especially if headache features are noted in the patient's history. Further, there are several small pilot studies with triptans demonstrating a prompt improvement in headache-induced cognitive changes. Cognitive performance can be measured by the Mental Efficiency Workload Test (MEWT), a handheld Palm neuropsychological test battery that measures mental efficiency. This tool can be used to demonstrate short and long term improvement in mental status beyond that seen at baseline.
Informal observations by the protocol authors have suggested that the use of triptans on a routine basis may ameliorate the headache and associated symptomatology of post traumatic headache. Therefore, this study is undertaken to study the use of naratriptan in the treatment of post traumatic headache. Roger K. Cady, MD, serves as the sponsor. The study is funded by GlaxoSmithKline.
56 subjects with a formal diagnosis of Chronic post-traumatic headache attributed to mild head injury (IHS/ICHD-II 5.2.2) and with self-reported mild cognitive inefficiency secondary to headache will be enrolled at two sites in the U.S. (Headache Care Center/Clinvest, Springfield, MO and National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, D.C.). Subjects meeting inclusion criteria will complete a physical examination and baseline testing and be randomized 1:1 to naratriptan 2.5mg bid x 30 days or a matched placebo bid x 30 days. A daily diary will document response to treatment. Subjects will return to the clinic at Day 10 and Day 30 and complete phone contacts at Days 5, 15, 21, 32 and 90. Information will be collected throughout the study on questionnaires related to headache impact, general health, satisfaction with medication, and quality of life. Cognition will be measured using the MEWT.