Among 1,036 patients treated for migraine headache between 1973 and 1980, 865 were given a daily maximum dose of 320 mg of propranolol, while 171 served as differently treated controls. A t least one year of treatment was prescribed, at t h e end of which time 84% of the propranolol group reported sustained improvement compared w i t h similar improvement i n only 32% of controls ( p < 0.01). The success rate progressively increased d u r i n g the entire year.
Rosen JA: Observations on the efficacy of propranolol for the prophylaxis of migraine.
Ann Neurol 13:92-93, 1983 Propranolol therapy has b e e n reported to be effective f o r t h e long-term prophylaxis of migraine [ 3 , 7, 91, b u t available reports give insufficient evidence about maximum d o s e and duration of the therapeutic trial [ 101. This communication tabulates m y observations o n 1,036 patients treated during the past eight years.
Materials and Methods
Between 1973 and 1980, I examined 1,426 consecutive patients with headaches in whom no intracranial abnormality could be found. Among these patients, 1,036 were thought to be suffering from migraine and were selected for inclusion in this study-865 to be treated with propranolol, 17 1 as controls. Those selected were between the ages of 5 and 60 years [8]. Propranolol treatment was begun in 52 patients at 5 to 20 years of age, in 141 at 21 to 30 years, in 402 at 3 1 to 40 years, in 192 at 4 1 to 50 years, and in 78 at 51 to 60 years of age. The treatment group included 574 female and 291 male patients, 807 white and 58 black. The criteria for inclusion were a minimum of one incapacitating headache per week for at least three months, with the following characteristics: pulsatile headache lasting