International archives of otorhinolaryngology
The Role of Intranasal and Inhaled Therapies in the Management of Cluster Headache: A Network Meta-analysis
By Aljeraisi T.
Abstract
Introduction
There are limited evidence-based nasal therapies available to treat cluster headaches. Likewise, there are not many head-to-head treatment comparisons available because most clinical trials have only compared therapies versus placebos.
Objective
To compare different nasal therapies for cluster headache.
Data synthesis
We used four databases to search for records and then screened them for eligibility. In randomized studies, the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool for randomized clinical trials. The data were then retrieved and used in double-arm analyses using the R Software (free and open source). Zolmitriptan 10 mg and oxygen demonstrated the greatest efficacy for headache relief, while oxygen ranked highest for pain-free outcomes. Zolmitriptan 10 mg was most effective in reducing rescue medication use. Across outcomes, zolmitriptan 10 mg and oxygen consistently ranked as the most effective treatments, with no evidence of inconsistency.