@conference {942, title = {Has onabotulinumtoxinA follow-up delay during COVID-19 lockdown affected the migraine course?}, booktitle = {International Headache Congress 2021}, year = {2021}, month = {2021}, publisher = {International Headache Society \& European Headache Federation}, organization = {International Headache Society \& European Headache Federation}, address = {Virtual Congress}, abstract = {
Objective: During the COVID-19 pandemic face-to-face procedures have been postponed. We aim to evaluate the impact of onabotulinumtoxinA follow-up delay in migraine during COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Subjective worsening, intensity of migraine attacks and frequency of headache and migraine were retrospectively compared between patients with unmodified and interrupted onabotulinumtoxinA follow-up in Headache Units.
Results: We included 67 patients with chronic migraine or high-frequency episodic migraine under onabotulinumtoxinA treatment, 65 (97.0\%) female,
44.5 +- 12.1 years old. Treatment administration was voluntarily delayed in 14 (20.9\%) patients and nine (13.4\%) were unable to continue follow-up. Patients with uninterrupted follow-up during lockdown presented 8.4 and 8.1 less monthly days with headache (adjusted p = 0.011) and migraine attacks (adjusted p = 0.009) compared to patients whose follow-up was interrupted, respectively.
Conclusion: Involuntary delay of onabotulinumtoxinA follow-up in patients with migraine due to COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a higher frequency of headache and migraine attacks. Safe administration of onabotulinumtoxinA during lockdown should be promoted.