Author: GBG

Over the four days of September 8-11, 2022, Migraine Trust, the largest research and support charity for people affected by migraine in the UK, brought the Migraine Trust International Symposium (MTIS) to bring together headache experts, scientists, clinicians, practitioners and specialists from all over the world. The conference held at London Hilton Metropole was run in conjunction with the most important stakeholder: headache patients, particularly those with migraine, and those who care for them.

The conference Chair, Professor Peter Goadsby, delivered the opening remarks, which marked the formal opening of the return to an in-person meeting for the Migraine Trust International Symposium – emphasizing the importance of better migraine care. This was followed by one of the highlights of the conference – the MacDonald Critchley Lecture given by one of the pioneers and giants of the headache world, Professor Lars Edvinson. Professor Edvinson talked about CGRP and gepants on sex hormones and migraine. CGRP was the dominating subject of the conference, from plenary lectures to abstract presentations and satellite lectures.

The second day of the conference has a somewhat sombre mood as the world bid goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II. The conference delegates paid their respect by observing a minute silence before the day started. After that, the day was filled with exciting and cutting-edge topics, such as discoveries in mechanisms, new treatments and information on the impacts of migraine. MTIS’s peak moment was when Professor Rigmor Jensen took to the stage to give her speech on Highs and Lows in Headache as she finally and rightly joined the roster of giants of headache medicine who delivered the Migraine Trust Lecture. She ended her lecture by inviting the audience to join as one choir to sing happy birthday to the legendary Professor Jes Olesen!

Although there was no dedicated session for headache nurses, the members of the International Forum for Headache Nurses board were present at the event. We took this opportunity to meet and network with our members.

The last day of MTIS was when Patient Day was held, where members of the public had a chance to listen to presentations and were given the opportunity to ask questions to leading migraine specialists.

The 18th Migraine Trust International Symposium (MTIS) will be held in London this year from 8 September to 11 September 2022. Although there is no dedicated session for headache nurses this year, the members of the board of the International Forum of Headache Nurses (IFHN) will be attending this in-person conference at London Hilton Metropole to hear from the world’s leading experts on migraine and headache. 

We invite all our members and non-members to approach us if you see anyone of us during these four-day events. We will hugely welcome a conversation and discussion with our fellow headache nurses and health care professionals in the world of headache.

The International Headache Society and European Headache Federation joined forces for the 20th International Headache Congress (IHC). The event from 8-12 September 2021 was the first fully digital International headache congress. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the globe, the original plan of a face-to-face meeting in Berlin, Germany, was reformatted to an entirely virtual congress. With its central theme, Headache Science to optimise patient care, the event was attended by almost 2000 delegates from over 90 countries. The five-day event was filled by a truly diverse program, including a session hosted by the International Forum of Headache Nurses (IFHN) on September 9, 2022. The session expertly hosted by Jennifer Trouerbach-Kraan from Leiden, Netherlands, was attended by 257 live participants.

The first speaker was Ms Maureen Moriarty, the Malek School of Nursing Professions director in Arlington, Virginia. Ms Moriarty’s talk was focused on the training for nurses caring for people with headaches called the BRIDGE program. The BRIDGE program, established in 2012, is a comprehensive headache education program designed for nurse practitioners and physician assistants in primary care in America sponsored by the American Headache Society. She went through BRIDGE’s journey from its inception to its delivery to approximately 500-600 providers. It was followed by a talk by Malene Kjærgaard Danoe, a headache nurse specialist at the Danish Headache Centre, Glostrup, Denmark. Ms Danoe presented her work on how the patient’s perception of illness evolves during treatment with CGRP antibodies. She presented her findings relevant to today’s practice with the dawn of the CGRP monoclonal antibody treatments for migraine.

The last topic of the IFHN session was about Medication Overuse Headache (MOH) and the introduction of detox presented by Syta Vissers, headache nurse from The Headache Centre, Haarlem, Netherlands. Syta Vissers started her talk by discussing medication overuse headaches, including its definition, clinical presentation, and most effective treatment – the withdrawal of medication being overused or “detox”. She then enumerated the importance and rationale of analgesia withdrawal or detox. In particular, she discussed the “detox” advice they implement in the Netherlands and how they support their patient during “detox”. They have been using the Detox Mobile app, a new electronic tool that gives the patient more confidence and the possibility to connect with fellow patients should they wish in the future. This electronic app is still exclusive and available only for the patients attending their headache centre.

It was a very successful and highly interactive session with questions asked live, albeit digitally. Jennifer masterfully chaired the session and moderated the question-and-answer part exceptionally well. She ended the session by thanking the speakers and attendees, but most especially the congress board, who generously agreed that members of IFHN could attend this session as a stand-alone course, free of charge, without the need to subscribe or register for the entire congress.

Unfortunately, the first few moments of the recording are without audio due to technical difficulties.

It is a privilege for us to announce that the congress board has agreed that members of IFHN can attend this session as a stand-alone course free of charge with no full registration to the entire congress.

If not yet a member, please sign up on this website.

IFHN session Thursday 9^th September at 11.15-12.45 CET.

Title: International Forum for Headache Nurses

Chair: J. Trouerbach-Kraan (Leiden/NL)

11.15-11.25 Welcome and Introduction to the forum and today’s session

11.25-11.50 Training for nurses caring for people with headache, M. Moriarty (Virginia/US)

11.50-12.15 How does the patient’s perception of illness evolve during treatment with CGRP antibodies? M. Kjærgaard Danoe (Glostrup/DK)

12.15-12.40 Medication Overuse Headache, introduction to a detox app, S. Vissers (Haarlem/NL)

12.40-12.45 Closing remarks, J. Trouerbach-Kraan (Leiden/NL)

Members are able to listen to the lectures for free through receiving a link that will be available and sent to you days before the conference.

The International Headache Congress is scheduled for 8-12 September, 2021.

IHS (International Headache Society) and EHF (European Headache Federation) are jointly organising The International Headache Congress, 8-12 September, 2021.

IFHN (International Forum for Headache Nurses) are hosting our own session on September 9th at 11:15-12:45 (CET).

Members are able to listen to the lectures for free through receiving a link that will be available and sent to you days before the conference.

Save the time and date now and join us if you are not a member yet.