Migraine is a commonly occurring neurologic disorder, characterized by attacks of head pain and other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia and in most patients (53-79%), cutaneous allodynia. Allodynia most often appear during the first few hours of an attack, but patients with a chronic migraine are sometimes allodynic between attacks. The objectives of the study were to use data of analysis of AMPP to 1) Evaluate rates and factors the2-hour pain freedom (2hPF), 24-hour pain response (24hPR), and 24-hour sustained pain response (24hSPR) with triptans vs other medication categories. 2) To understand the influence of allodynia on response to medication. 3) Assess the interaction between medication category and presence of allodynia in response to treatment. This study included a population sample of persons who had a migraine and is on the treatment of the single category of acute migraine medication. In the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) it was found that Cutaneous allodynia was previously associated with inadequate 2hPF, 24hPR, and 24hSPR (sustained response at 24 hours among those with adequate 2hPF) among people with a migraine.

The AMPP Study received data from a representative US sample of persons with a migraine by mailed questionnaire. The 2006 survey included 8233 people suffering from migraine with age 18 or more who completed the Migraine Treatment Optimization Questionnaire (mTOQ). The researchers used mTOQ to assess the acute treatment outcomes including 2hPF, 24hPR, and 24hSPR. Eligible individuals had only a single category of acute prescription migraine treatments (n =  5236, 63.6%). One the basis of type of acute prescription headache medication used the sample was stratified into 5 categories namely triptans, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, barbiturate-combinations, opioids, and opioid combinations and ergot alkaloids. Binary logistic regression models were used seperately for each group to evaluate:

(1)   triptans vs other medication types;

(2)   presence of allodynia vs no allodynia;

(3)   the interaction of medication category with allodynia.

Sociodemographic variables like over-the-counter and preventive medication, health insurance status use were termed as covariates. 95% confidence intervals (CI) and Odds ratios (OR) were generated for each acute treatment outcome.
The mean age among eligible participants, was 46 years, and 82.5% were women. The findings revealed that the group using triptan showed better outcomes compared to other medication groups for 2hPF (OR range: 2.00-2.63, all significant except ergot alkaloids) and 24hPR (OR range: 2.10-6.22, all significant). No significant medication effects were observed for the 24hSPR outcome. The presence of allodynia was found to be associated with significantly worse outcomes for both 2hPF (OR range: 1.42-1.55, all significant) and 24hPR (OR range: 1.30-1.32, all significant, except for ergot alkaloids, P  =  .051). Effects OF Allodynia were not significant for the 24hSPR. The medication and allodynia interaction was also not significant (OR range for 2hPF: .68-2.02; OR range for 2hPR: .35-1.34; OR range for 24hSPR: 1.21-2.72) in any of the models. This reveals that allodynia is an important predictor of treatment response regardless of the medication group prescribed.

From the study, we can conclude that the use of triptan medication was associated with significantly better 2hPF (except vs ergot alkaloids) and significantly better 24hPR outcomes compared with other acute medication categories. The presence of allodynia significantly increased the probability of an inadequate treatment response for both of these outcomes. Triptan use generated best outcomes. Because allodynia was associated with inadequate outcomes for all medication groups, we suggest that allodynia is an area of unmet treatment need.