Cluster Headache and the Brain

These authors report details of a fortuitous recording of acute cluster headache during implantation of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes to treat medically intractable cluster headache. The finding was in one of two patients in whom they sought to record from the site of placement during implantation, to use the pattern of local field potentials as a guide to placement.

The investigators found an increase in power of 20 Hz in local field potential recordings in the region of the posterior hypothalamus in one patient who had an attack during the recording time. The other patient had no change in field potentials.