Headache research in Europe and the United States

摘要

Research on headache disorders is supported by funding from both public and private agencies. Extremely few of these funding sources are devoted solely to the support of headache research. For most agencies, headache disorders must compete with other medical conditions for available funds. Although support for research of the highest scientific quality is uniformly cited by agencies as the most important basis for awarding the funds, other considerations also influence the distribution of research funds. These priorities include the need to seize upon research breakthroughs that present the best opportunities for advancing knowledge rapidly, the need to counter time-sensitive public health threats, the need to support a diversity of research approaches and methodologies, and the need to reduce the general burden of illness. Although headache disorders have are not considered as emerging public health threats, we will review data indicating that they collectively result in a tremendous burden of disease that is still unaddressed by research funding agencies in Europe and the United States. Moreover, the general neglect of headache disorders by funding agencies has created a further obstacle to the achievement research breakthroughs that would, in turn, warrant prioritization for further funding. This chapter briefly outlines the current state of funding, the evidence suggesting the need for additional headache research, a recent political response to current levels of research funding, and a proposed plan to develop the headache research community.