Episodic and chronic migraine

Migraine is a complex spectrum disorder, the clinical and pathological features of which may evolve over time – neuroimaging studies of people with migraine suggest that chronic migraine is associated with progressive brain dysfunction.^{[Aurora & Brin, 2017]} The differences between people with episodic migraine and people with chronic migraine highlights the need for treatments to be tailored to each group.^{[Aurora, 2009; Aurora & Brin, 2017]} It is tempting to consider that effective preventive treatment in patients with chronic migraine might mitigate the effects that chronification may have on the brain.^{[Aurora & Brin, 2017]}

References:
Aurora SK. Is chronic migraine one end of a spectrum of migraine or a separate entity? Cephalalgia 2009; 29 (6): 597–605.

Aurora SK, Brin MF. Chronic migraine: an update on physiology, imaging, and the mechanism of action of two available pharmacologic therapies. Headache 2017; 57 (1): 109–125.

Katsarava Z, Buse DC, Manack AN, Lipton RB. Defining the differences between episodic migraine and chronic migraine. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2012; 16 (1): 86–92.

Bigal ME, Lipton RB. Migraine chronification. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2011; 11 (2): 139–148.

Eigenbrodt et al. Diagnosis and management of migraine in ten steps. Nat Rev Neurol. 2021; 17 (8): 501-514.