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. 2025 May 1;25(2):1–177.

Table A7:

Exclusion Criteria From Included Studies

Author, year Exclusion criteria (quoted or paraquoted by individual studies)
Cluster headache
Silberstein et al, 201651 (ACT1)
  • Pregnant or lactating

  • History of aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumours, significant head trauma, prolonged QT interval, arrhythmia, ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, syncope, or seizure; structural intracranial or cervical vascular lesions; cardiovascular disease; uncontrolled hypertension; abnormal baseline electrocardiogram

  • Significant pain disorder

  • Botulinum toxin injections in the past 3 mo; nerve blocks in the past 1 mo

  • Previous cluster headache surgery, bilateral or right cervical vagotomy, carotid endarterectomy, or right vascular neck surgery; electrical device implantation

  • Current use of prophylactic medications for indications other than cluster headache

Goadsby et al, 201852 (ACT2)
  • Episodice cluster headache and not in a bout at the time of screening

  • Pregnant or nursing

  • Need to begin treatment with oral or injectable steroids; use of medication that might have interfered with the study

  • Lesion, dysesthesia, previous surgery, or abnormal anatomy at the treatment site; history of cranial aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumour, significant head trauma, carotid endarterectomy, vascular neck surgery, or cervical vagotomy

  • Secondary headache or other significant pain condition

  • Abnormal baseline electrocardiogram; known or suspected atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, severe carotid artery disease, congestive heart failure, known severe coronary artery disease, or recent myocardial infarction; uncontrolled high blood pressure

  • Recent or repeated history of syncope or seizures

  • Implanted electrical and/or neurostimulator device, metal cervical spine hardware, or metallic apparatus near the stimulation site

  • History of substance abuse, addiction, or headache medication overuse or a psychiatric or cognitive condition that may have interfered with the study

Tassorelli et al, 201855 (PRESTO)
  • History of secondary headache, aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumours, significant head trauma, substance abuse, addiction, syncope, or seizure

  • Significant pain disorder

  • Cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease; uncontrolled hypertension

  • Psychiatric or cognitive disorders

  • Pregnancy

  • Requiring oral or injectable steroids; botulinum toxin injections in the past 6 mo; head or neck nerve blocks in the past 2 mo; previous migraine prevention surgery

  • Cervical vagotomy, electrical device, or metal cervical spine hardware implantation

  • Current use of opioids for > 2 d per mo; current use of simple analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for > 15 d per mo; current use of triptans, ergots, or combined analgesics for > 10 d per mo; initiation of preventive migraine medications in the past 2 mo

Migraine
Gaul et al, 201653 (PREVA)
  • Change in prophylactic medication type or dosage < 1 mo before enrolment

  • History of intracranial or carotid aneurysm or hemorrhage; brain tumours or lesions; signficant head trauma, surgery, or abnormal anatomy at the nVNS treatment site; history of syncope or seizures

  • Known or suspected cardiac or cardiovascular disease

  • Implantatation with electrical or neurostimulation devices; history of carotid endarterectomy or vascular neck surgery; implantation with metallic hardware

Silberstein et al, 201656 (EVENT)
  • History of aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumour, or head trauma; a lesion, dysesthesia, previous surgery, or abnormal anatomy at the treatment site

  • Cardiovascular disease; uncontrolled hypertension; abnormal electrocardiogram results; recent myocardial infarction

  • Implanted electrical or neurostimulator device; a metallic implant or metal cervical spine hardware near the stimulation site

  • Previous surgery for migraine prevention; onabotulinumtoxin A injections for migraine prevention within 6 mo; prophylactic migraine medication within 30 d

Chaudhry et al, 201959
  • Concomitant neuropsychiatric comorbidity not adequately classified and/or requiring specific diagnosis or treatment

  • Pregnancy

  • Previously performed invasive, noninvasive, and ablative procedures

  • Intracranial and cervical pathologies

  • Medication overuse headache

Diener et al, 201957 (PREMIUM)
  • Chronic migraine diagnosis; previous diagnosis of medication overuse headache that had reverted to episodic migraine in the past 6 mo

  • Medical condition requiring oral or injectable steroids

  • History of secondary headache, aneurysm, intracranial haemorrhage, brain tumours, significant head trauma, substance abuse, addiction, syncope, or seizure

  • Structural abnormality, pain, or metal cervical spine hardware implantation near treatment site

  • Significant pain disorder

  • Cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease; abnormal electrocardiogram; uncontrolled hypertension

  • Previous migraine prevention surgery, cervical vagotomy, or electrical or neurostimulator device implantation

  • Psychiatric or cognitive disorders; pregnancy

  • Botulinum toxin injections in the past 6 mo; head or neck nerve blocks in the past 2 mo; failure of at least 3 classes of migraine prevention drugs; opioid use; marijuana use; simple analgesic or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use (> 15 d per mo); or triptan, ergot, or combined analgesic use (> 10 d per mo)

  • Use of preventive migraine treatments at or within 30 d of baseline

Najib et al, 202258 (PREMIUM II)
  • On 2 or more preventive therapies, injections of onabotulinumtoxin A or calcitonin gene-related peptide-targeting monoclonal antibody drugs within the last 6 mo

  • Takes simple analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs > 15 d per mo or triptans, ergots, or combined analgesics > 10 d per mo; prescription opioids more than 2 d per mo

  • Surgery for migraine prevention; undergone nerve block in head or neck within the last 3 mo

  • Medication overuse headache that had reverted to migraine, history of secondary headache disorder

  • History of intracranial aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumour, or significant head trauma

  • Structural abnormality or pain at the nVNS treatment site; previous cervical vagotomy; implanted with an electrical and/or neurostimulator device or metal cervical spine hardware or has a metallic implant near the nVNS stimulation site

  • Other significant pain problem

  • Severe cardiac disease, cerebrovascular disease, abnormal electrocardiogram within the last year; uncontrolled high blood pressure; history of syncope, seizure

  • History of substance abuse or addiction; currently using marijuana

  • Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant

  • Psychiatric or cognitive disorder and/or behavioural problems that may interfere with the study

Abbreviation: nVNS, noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation.