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Table 1 Demographic data and clinical features of CH patients

From: Release of PACAP-38 in episodic cluster headache patients – an exploratory study

Questionnaire

Mean values and features of ECH patients (n = 9)

Body mass index:

28.5 ± 5.6

Duration of cluster headache disease:

7.0 ± 3.8 years

Frequency of cluster episodes and duration of cluster episode:

2.9 ± 0.8 attack episodes/year

5.0 ± 3.1 weeks

Sessions and seasonality of headache episodes:

in the evenings/at nights (n = 4), at dawns (n = 3) and daytime (n = 2)

in spring and summer (n = 4), in changing seasons (n = 4), in winter (n = 1)

Intensity and characteristic of pain:

very strong (n = 6) and severe (n = 3)

splitting/throbbing (n = 5), sharp/stabbing (n = 4) headache

Localization and side of pain:

orbital, supra/periorbital, temporal

right (n = 6) and left (n = 3) side

Accompanying symptoms:

conjunctival injection, lacrimation, ptosis and eyelid edema, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, vasodilation, facial redness and flushing

Lifestyle habits:

non (n = 4), medium (n = 2) and excessive (n = 3) smokers, moderate caffeine consumers (n = 9)

Most commonly used treatments of ECH patients in the bout periods:

O2 therapy, sumatriptan, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. indomethacin and diclophenac)

Previous attack episode before the inter-bout blood sampling:

2.8 ± 1.0 months

Beginning of the attack episode during the ictal blood sampling:

6.4 ± 4.6 days

Duration of headache attack until the ictal sampling:

2.3 ± 0.6 h

Headache attack frequency per day in a bout and duration of headache attack:

1.2 ± 0.7 headache attack/day in a bout

2.3 ± 0.7 h