HeadWise Volume 3, Issue 3 | Page 8

book review by Jack Gladstein, MD, Guest Reviewer Childhood Headache, 2nd Edition Edited by Ishaq Abu-Arafeh It is very difficult to write a textbook that covers the topic of pediatric headache. A book to be used by parents as a resource will differ than one for primary care physicians. A book for general headache specialists will be different than one for specialists in the field of pediatric headache. Likewise, psychologists, therapists, or psychiatrists have their own needs when finding a book that helps with their ability to manage childhood headache sufferers. I am happy to report that Childhood Headache, 2nd Edition, can satisfy all of these readers. It combines a gentle reading style with various layers of complexity. The first chapter is a “must read” in order to set the stage. Professor Abu-Arafeh reviews the history of what we know about childhood headache. Previous chapters of headache history relate to adults only, with limited mention of children. From ancient practices to this past century’s attempts of inclusion of children in classification outlines, the author establishes the format for the rest of the book, which helps the reader see where we are now. I would have liked to see a brief glimpse of Goadsby’s excellent review of physiology in this chapter to show how far we have come in the management of childhood headache. 8 HeadWise™ | Volume 3, Issue 3 • 2013 In Chapter 2, Professor Goadsby reviews our current understanding of pathophysiology. Although he acknowledges that “kids have headaches too,” he posits that the physiology of youngsters and adults, at least early in the process, should be similar. He stresses that as the brain matures, so do the physiologic changes associated with migraine. This chapter is more suited to the specialist, although it will also be of interest for the generalist to know how bench research will lead to a better understanding of patient needs. The third chapter on genetics is up-to-date, although it relates more to epidemiologic aspects of childhood headache than pharmacologic implications of therapy. I am sure that future editions will include an updated section regarding this burgeoning field of headache medicine. The chapter describing classification is difficult and indicated that childhood headache is not really covered well by current ICHD-II models. The author notes that clinical decision making still trumps classification outlines, but research study inclusion criteria must be based upon uniform accepted standards. The epidemiology chapter is comprehensive and thorough. Parents educat