Greater Occipital Nerve Blockade in Veterans With Post-concussion Headache: Sub-study 1

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2025-03-31
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The acute and subacute sensations that occur on the scalp with injection of different concentrations of bupivacaine for grater occipital nerve blockade will be compared. Each Veteran participant will be randomized to receive three different concentrations, which will be injected one week apart each.

• Phase: Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Yale University
• Collaborators: National Headache Foundation; VA Connecticut Healthcare System
• Treatments: Bupivacaine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• United States Military Veterans within VA Connecticut Healthcare System

• Chronic post-traumatic headache per ICHD-3 criteria (i.e., headaches are continuing to occur three months after the head injury)

• At least two headache days per week

• MRI brain scan completed within the past 3 months if chronic PTH for less than one year, within the past year if chronic PTH for less than 5 years, and within 5 years if chronic PTH for more than 10 years

• Review of MRI and the medical record does not reveal another source for headache

Exclusion Criteria:

• Skull defect

• Other contraindication to bupivacaine

1. Allergy or adverse reaction (e.g., rash, cardiac effects) to amide anesthetics, such as lidocaine

2. Instruction from clinician to avoid amide anesthetics, such as lidocaine

• Pregnant or lack of adequate birth control