Bridging the gap between preclinical scientists, clinical researchers, and clinicians: From animal research to clinical practice

Background: Collaborations amongst researchers and clinicians with complementary areas of expertise enhance knowledge for everyone and can lead to new discoveries. To facilitate these interactions, shared language and a general understanding of how colleagues in different subfields of headache and headache research approach their work are needed.

Methods: This narrative review focuses on research methods applied in animal studies, human studies including clinical trials, and provides an overview of clinical practice.

Results: For animal studies, we describe concepts needed to evaluate the quality and relevance of preclinical studies. For human research, fundamental concepts of neuroimaging, quantitative sensory testing, genetic and epidemiological research methods, and clinical research methodology that are commonly used in headache research are summarized. In addition, we provide an understanding of what guides headache clinicians, and summarize the practical approach to migraine management in adults and children.

Conclusions: It is hoped that this review facilitates further dialogue between clinicians and researchers that will help guide future research efforts and implementation of research findings into clinical practice.