EFFICACY OF ANTICONVULSANTS IN THE TREATMENT OF POSTOPERATIVE HEADACHE IN PATIENTS WITH BRAIN TUMORS

Abstract

Headache is one of the most frequent symptoms in patients with brain tumors and often persists in the postoperative period, significantly impairing quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of anticonvulsant therapy in the management of postoperative headaches in neuro-oncological patients. A total of 257 patients who underwent surgical removal of brain tumors were enrolled in the study. Among them, 88 patients received anticonvulsants (gabapentin, lamotrigine, and lamotrigine generic formulations), while 169 patients formed the control group without anticonvulsant therapy. Headache intensity, duration, and frequency were assessed using the Visual Analogue Pain Scale and dynamic clinical monitoring. Anticonvulsant therapy resulted in a significant reduction in headache intensity (53.5–57.0%), frequency (28.9–32.0%), and duration (27.3–31.2%) compared with the control group. The results indicate that anticonvulsants are effective and well-tolerated agents for postoperative headache management in patients with brain tumors.