Which is NOT listed as a preventive therapy for tension-type headache?

Prepare for the Pharmacology IV – Headache Therapeutics Test. Review the therapeutic approaches, tackle multiple-choice questions with explanations, and boost your test-taking confidence. Ace your exam with precision!

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT listed as a preventive therapy for tension-type headache?

The main idea is that preventive strategies differ by headache type because their underlying biology guides which therapies are effective. For tension-type headache, preventive options commonly include tricyclic antidepressants, certain antiseizure medications, and non-drug approaches like psychophysiologic therapy (relaxation, biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral techniques). These work by reducing central pain sensitization, muscle tension, and stress—factors closely linked to TTH. CGRP antagonists, on the other hand, are targeted at the CGRP pathway that drives migraine pathophysiology. They are proven to reduce migraine frequency and are a mainstay of migraine prevention, but they’re not established or typically listed as preventive options for tension-type headache, whose mechanism and clinical trial evidence do not rely on CGRP blockade. So the option involving CGRP antagonists is not considered a preventive therapy for tension-type headache, whereas the other approaches are. In short, CGRP antagonists are migraine-specific preventives, not tension-type headache preventives, while TCAs, antiseizure meds, and psychophysiologic therapy have roles in preventing tension-type headaches.

The main idea is that preventive strategies differ by headache type because their underlying biology guides which therapies are effective. For tension-type headache, preventive options commonly include tricyclic antidepressants, certain antiseizure medications, and non-drug approaches like psychophysiologic therapy (relaxation, biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral techniques). These work by reducing central pain sensitization, muscle tension, and stress—factors closely linked to TTH.

CGRP antagonists, on the other hand, are targeted at the CGRP pathway that drives migraine pathophysiology. They are proven to reduce migraine frequency and are a mainstay of migraine prevention, but they’re not established or typically listed as preventive options for tension-type headache, whose mechanism and clinical trial evidence do not rely on CGRP blockade. So the option involving CGRP antagonists is not considered a preventive therapy for tension-type headache, whereas the other approaches are.

In short, CGRP antagonists are migraine-specific preventives, not tension-type headache preventives, while TCAs, antiseizure meds, and psychophysiologic therapy have roles in preventing tension-type headaches.

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