Migraines are thought of as normal neurological functions interspersed with episodes of headaches. At least 20% of migraineurs meeting the International Headache Society criteria have changed the pattern from episodes of migraine into patterns of chronic headache. Chronic headache often does not return to normal neurological function. This evolving process from episodic headache to chronic headache is called transformation. In the population segment of chronic daily headache, migraine appears to be a progressive neurological disease. The decline of normal neurological function between episodes of migraine greatly exacerbates the migraine syndrome.
Transformation is a process that occurs usually over years. Usually the migraineur starts off having acute episodic migraines. As someone continues to have migraines over time, the pain can occur more often and start merging together with a mixed headache pattern of lower severity migraines intermingled with more severe episodes. The mixed headache pattern can further transform into chronic daily headache. These transformed headaches can be caused by rebound phenomenon or can happen by reasons that are not fully...