The Plastic Surgery Foundation
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Grants We Funded

Grant applicants for the 2023 cycle requested a total of nearly $4 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated nearly 140 grant applications on the following topics:

The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $1 million dollars to support nearly 30 plastic surgery research proposals.

ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.

Research Abstracts

Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.

Placebo-Controlled Surgical Treatment of Migraines

Principal Investigator
Bahman Guyuron MD

Year
2004

Institution
Private Practice

Funding Mechanism
National Endowment

Focus Area
Other

Abstract
The results of ongoing work by our research group demonstrate over 92% improvement or elimination of migraine headaches triggered from the frontal, temporal, or occipital region. The hypothesis is that the terminal branches of the trigeminal and greater occipital nerves (GON) are irritated by contraction of adjacent muscles, namely the corrugator group, temporalis, and semispinalis capitis, respectively, leading to central sensitization and migraine headaches. The long-term objective of this study is to establish the enduring effectiveness of surgical treatment of migraine headaches, a disabling condition affecting millions of Americans. The specific aim is to demonstrate the efficacy of surgical release of peripheral branches of the trigeminal nerve and GON on migraine headaches through a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study for each of the three common trigger sites. Patients who experience migraine headaches, predominantly in one of the trigger sites (frontal, temporal, or occipital), will be examined by neurologists of the research team to confirm the diagnosis of migraine headaches according to the criteria set forth by the International Headache Society. Patients will complete headache questionnaires: Migraine Specific Quality of Life (MSQ) and SF36. A positive response to injection of botulinum toxin type A into the compressing muscles will determine patient eligibility for this study and predict the likely success of surgery. Thirty patients will be included in each group (90 patients in all). Selected on a random basis, 20 patients in the group with frontal trigger sites will undergo removal of the corrugator supercilii, depressor supercilii, and procerus muscles. Twenty patients with temporal trigger sites will undergo detachment of the zygomaticotemporal branch of the trigeminal nerve. In the group with occipital trigger sites, 20 patients will undergo removal of a small portion of the semispinalis capitis muscle surrounding the GON, and the nerve will be shielded with a small subcutaneous flap. The 10 patients in each group who will undergo the placebo surgery will be treated in a similar manner as those of the actual surgery group except that neither the muscles will be removed nor will the nerves be detached. Neither the patients nor the research team analyzing the results will be aware of the assignment. All patients will maintain headache diaries and will complete standardized migraine questionnaires after surgery every third month. After one year of follow-up, the questionnaires will be repeated including the SF36 and MSQ, and the results will be analyzed using standard statistical methods. The patients in the placebo surgery group will have the option to undergo the definitive surgery after serving as a control for one year.