Migraine in Older Adulthood: What Really Changes?
Key Questions
- What are the most common misconceptions about migraine disease in older adults?
- Do migraine symptoms change as people age?
- How does a provider differentiate between a change in migraine symptoms and a new or worsening condition like a stroke?
- Why are older patients frequently excluded from research studies?
- Should providers withhold treatments due to a lack of data for a particular age group?
- What considerations should be taken when prescribing headache or migraine medications for older patients?
- How should a history of stroke, heart attack, or heart disease influence the selection of headache or migraine medications?
- Do patients often present with headache or migraine symptoms for the first time in their 60s or 70s?
- What can migraine patients in their 30s, 40s, and 50s do now to prepare for aging with migraine?
- How can older patients who defer to providers learn to be partners in their care?
Robert P. Cowan, MD, FAAN, FAHS
Director of Research
Headache and Facial Pain, Stanford University
Dr. Robert P. Cowan is a clinical professor of neurology, and director of research at the Headache and Facial Pain Program, Division of Headache Medicine at Stanford. He is board certified in neurology and pain medicine, with a subspecialty certification in headache medicine. Dr. Cowan has held several nationally elected positions, including chair of multiple sections for the American Headache Society (AHS).
He is the past president of the Headache Cooperative of the Pacific and was the founding chief of the headache division in the Department of Neurology at Stanford, and before that, at the Keck School of Medicine of USC (University of Southern California). He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the AHS. He has served on the boards of the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy and the now-defunct American Headache and Migraine Association. He has published over 200 articles, chapters, abstracts, and posters and is the author of The Keeler Migraine Method.
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