Migraine is one of the most frequent forms of headache. It is estimated that 6-8% of all men and 12-14% of all women suffer from migraine. 1-4 The lifetime-prevalence in women is >25%. Before puberty the frequency of migraine is 4-5%. Boys and girls are affected equally. The highest incidence of migraine attacks occurs between the 35th and 45th years of life. During this phase of life women are affected three times more frequently than men. Migraine attacks lead to severe, frequently unilateral

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... pulsating and pounding headaches, increasing with physical activity. 5 This can lead to a severe disruption in quality of life and the World Health Organization (WHO) has rated migraine as one of the top 20 leading causes of disability worldwide. 6 The individual attacks are accompanied by a loss of appetite (almost always), nausea (80%), vomiting (40-50%), light sensitivity (photophobia 60%) noise sensitivity (phonophobia 50%) and odour hypersensitivity (10%). If the headaches are unilateral they can change sides within an attack or from attack to attack. The duration of the attacks, depending on the definition of the International Headache Society, varies between four and 72 hours. 5 In children the attacks are shorter and can also occur without headaches, and with only severe nausea, vomiting and giddiness. 6