Investigations and Management of Headache and Facial Pain

The content of the course is structured to develop your understanding of the imaging methods and other laboratory tests that are used in the work-up of primary headache diagnosis or when suspecting a secondary headache condition.

We will also cover laboratory tests that may be used to subcategorize primary headaches. The course will describe the treatment principles and strategies for primary headaches and trigeminal neuralgia and other cranial neuralgias. Treatment principles of medication-overuse headache, idiopathic intracranial hypertension and other important secondary headache will also be covered. Treatment modalities that are covered include non-pharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, neurostimulation and neurosurgical procedures. Novel treatment modalities and future development will also be covered.

The course is organized as a combination of face-face lectures, group work, case studies, and journal clubs provided and supervised by the world leading specialists in the field. As the Master Program is planned as a part time study, a significant part of the work load is required to be carried out as home work with blended learning and the reading of literature in between the modules. A personal mentor will be appointed to each student and there will be provided possibilities for platform based discussion fora between the students and in relation to their mentors.

The course covers the following topics:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurophysiology
• Quantitative sensory testing (QST) and other examination modalities
• CSF pressure
• Treatment principles and opportunities for acute and preventive treatment of:
• Migraine headaches
• Tension-type headaches
• trigeminal neuralgia and other cranial neuralgias
• cluster headaches and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias
• medication-overuse headache
• Secondary types of headache.

What do you gain?

On completion of the course, the participants should be able to:

• acquire knowledge and insight into existing and new examination methods, relevance for the individual patient, sources of error and opportunities.
• gain knowledge on the highest international level about basic and clinical pharmacology, the background for medical treatment and the correct use of medicine for headache patients.
• review the operative intervention in trigeminal neuralgia and use of neuromodulation for acute and preventive treatment for primary headache types.

Skills:

• learn how to set an optimal and relevant programme of examination for all the primary and secondary types of headache and facial pain. Consideration will be made for various international healthcare systems and optimal use of available resources.
• initiate and maintain optimal treatment in the acute phase as well as prevention, and learn how to assess and adjust treatment response over time.
• assess and critically discuss scientific articles about examinations and treatment.

Competencies:

• optimise diagnostic reports and contribute to the future development and validation of new diagnostic initiatives.
• perform, initiate and participate in new types of treatment on a scientific basis, to initiate new types of examination
• help and develop national and international treatment guidelines.

Course dates:

E-learning: 4. March - 29. March 2019

On campus: 1. April - 5. April 2019

Course fee

• DKK 10,000 for EU/EEA citizens
• DKK 15,108 for non-EU/EEA citizens

Application deadline for single course students: 8 weeks prior to course start