IMPROVEMENT OF DECREASED CRITICAL FLICKER FREQUENCY (CFF) IN HEADACHEPATIENTS WITH DRUG-ABUSE AFTER SUCCESSFUL WITHDRAWAL

A considerable proportion of headache patients fulfill the criteria of ''drug abuse'' (definition according to the International Headache So ciety [IHS] criteria). These patients exhibit markedly reduced vigilan ce and continuous performance, as shown by the results of critical fli cker frequency (CFF) analysis. The present study deals with the questi on whether this impairment of vigilance and continuous performance is reversible. Forty-eight headache patients with drug abuse were investi gated three times by means of CFF analysis: immediately before (A), im mediately after (B), and 3 weeks after having finished (C) inpatient d rug withdrawal. Immediately after withdrawal, a significant decrease o f headache intensity was observed. The CFF values, however, remained u nchanged at a depressed level, probably due to withdrawal medication a nd the initial sedative side effects of thymoleptic agents (given as p rophylaxis). Three weeks after withdrawal, however, the CFF values wer e significantly improved, and were now within a range not far from the normal values known from a healthy general population. Thus, even aft er many years of drug abuse, headache patients have a good chance to i mprove their vigilance and continuous performance and to reach normal or close to normal levels.