Migraine is a very common disorder characterized by the combination of typical
headache with associated autonomic symptoms and/or the presence of
aura. Considerable advances have been made in recent years to understand the pathophysiology of
migraine, which has led to improved treatment options for the acute
migraine attack as well as
migraine prophylaxis. Unfortunately, preventive treatment is often insufficient to decrease
migraine frequency substantially or is not well tolerated.
Topiramate is an antipileptic
drug with a complex mode of action which has proven its efficacy and safety in the prophylactic treatment of episodic
migraine in a number of randomized controlled clinical trials.
Topiramate is also effective in treating patients with chronic
migraine. It has little pharmacological interaction with other drugs and is generally well tolerated by patients.