Pain
in general (headache in particular) is characterized by a change in the
activity of brain leading to pain processing. The challenge is to zero down
drugs with molecular targets that restore the healthy state and result in
lasting pain relief.
"Pain matrix", a network of brain areas, is involved in pain perception and its
control. This diversification of the pain perception and exhibition explains
why a broader range of molecularly different substances can be used for the
treatment of different pain conditions and why in more recently several studies
have described a much better efficacy of a precise multi-target combination
therapy as compared to mono-therapy.
Dr. Andreas Straube from University of Munich probed for the evidences which
support combination therapy in the
pharmacotherapy of pain, particularly in headaches. For the study, fixed-dose
combination of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), paracetamol (acetaminophen), and
caffeine was reviewed. The huge advantage of using such a fixed combination is
that the active ingredients act on different but distinct molecular targets.
This enables them to act on more signaling cascades involved in pain.
It
was obvious from the study that what one drug - acetylsalicylic acid (ASA),
paracetamol (acetaminophen), and caffeine could not achieve on its own could be
achieved when they were combined. Principal
Author of the study, Dr. Andreas Straube concluded by stating, "After the study, here is substantial clinical
evidence that a multi-component therapy is definitely more effective than mono-component
therapies as it boosts their effectiveness for pain relief."
Reference article:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2377-11-43.pdf
Source: Medindia
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