Suchergebnisse

Background. Primary headaches are comprised of three big categories: migraines (with or without aura), the third most
common and the 6th most disabling disease worldwide, tension-headaches, and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, each with
different, complex, and not completely understood pathophysiological, clinical, and neuroimagistic characteristics. Structures like
the brain stem, hippocampus, or hypothalamus have been depicted as being the main triggers of these types of headaches, which
have a significant impact on the quality of life. Methods. We performed a broad literature review on primary headaches from
January 2016 to June 2023, analyzing the latest scientific updates and emphasizing the pathophysiological and neuroimagistic
characteristics. Results. We provide a concise review of the main neuroimaging studies that help in differential diagnosis between
several types of primary headaches. Conclusions. It is difficult to approach the pathophysiology of these three primary headache
categories. Keeping in mind that neuroimagistic methods are rapidly developing (especially in the MRI sphere), the most
important endpoint of future studies will be to establish a reliable distinction system for all these types of cephalalgias, thus
updating the protocols and guidelines. Currently, imaging studies are indicated only in certain circumstances.