Caffeine and headache: specific remarks

Abstract

Caffeine is the most widely used psychostimulant worldwide. Excessive caffeine consumption induces a series of both acute and chronic biological and physiological changes that may give rise to cognitive decline, depression, fatigue, insomnia, cardiovascular changes, and headache. Chronic consumption of caffeine promotes a pro-nociceptive state of cortical hyperexcitability that can intensify a primary headache or trigger a headache due to excessive analgesic use. This review offers an in-depth analysis of the physiological mechanisms of caffeine and its relationship with headache.

Keywords: Adenosina; Adenosine; Adultos; Adults; Analgesics; Analgésicos; Cafeína; Caffeine; Cefalea crónica diaria; Daily chronic headache; Migraine; Migraña.