WCN 2023 | Advancing treatment horizons: innovative strategies for trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias

Elizabeth Leroux, MD, FRCP, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada discusses innovative research on treating trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TAC). One promising avenue is the use of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound found in mushrooms, which now has scientific backing for its action on the serotonergic system. Legal progress is allowing more research, including a small exploratory study in chronic cluster headaches which shows promise. Another modality under exploration is sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) stimulation, which has shown potential with cluster headaches but is yet to be launched. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) blockers, particularly eptinezumab, are undergoing trials for cluster headaches but outcomes remain inconclusive. In the context of SUNCT, exploratory surgical strategies mimicking those effective in trigeminal neuralgia also exhibit promise. Together, these emerging approaches hold the potential to broaden the treatment landscape for TACs. This interview took place at the World Congress of Neurology (WCN) 2023 in Montreal, Canada.

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