Search results for "headache disorders"

Generalized hyperalgesia in patients with chronic tension-type headache.

2006

Increased pain sensitivity in the central nervous system may play an important role in the pathophysiology of chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). Previous studies using pain thresholds as a measure of central pain sensitivity have yielded inconsistent results and only a few studies have examined perception of muscle pain without involvement of adjacent tissues. It has been suggested that suprathreshold testing might be more sensitive than threshold measurements in evaluation of central hyperexcitability in CTTH. The aim of the study was to compare pain ratings to suprathreshold single and repetitive (2 Hz) electrical stimulation of muscle and skin in cephalic (temporal and trapezius) and…

Development and validation of the EUROLIGHT questionnaire to evaluate the burden of primary headache disorders in Europe

2010

We developed a 103-item self-reporting questionnaire to assess the burden of primary headache disorders on those affected by them, including headache characteristics, associated disability, co-morbidities, disease-management and quality of life. We validated the questionnaire in five languages with 426 participants (131 in UK, 60 in Italy, 107 in Spain, 83 in Germany/Austria, and 45 in France). After a linguistic and a face-content validation, we tested the questionnaire for comprehensibility, internal consistency and test–retest reliability at an interval of one month. In the different countries, response rates were between 73% and 100%. Test–retest reliability varied between –0.27 to 1.0…

Validity and reliability of the Migraine-Treatment Optimization Questionnaire.

2009

Our aim was to establish the validity and reliability of a patient-rated Migraine Treatment Optimization Questionnaire (M-TOQ in primary care. Patients who met International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn criteria for migraine completed a 19-item questionnaire containing candidate items for the M-TOQ and three questionnaires designed to test convergent/construct validity [Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS), Headache Impact Test (HIT)-6 and Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Scale (MSSQoL)]. A 15-item (M-TOQ15) and a five-item (M-TOQ-5) questionnaire were derived. Two hundred and fifty-three adult patients were recruited. Five treatment optimization domains were iden…

Multisensorial Perception in Chronic Migraine and the Role of Medication Overuse.

2020

Multisensory processing can be assessed by measuring susceptibility to crossmodal illusions such as the Sound-Induced Flash Illusion (SIFI). When a single flash is accompanied by 2 or more beeps, it is perceived as multiple flashes (fission illusion); conversely, a fusion illusion is experienced when more flashes are matched with a single beep, leading to the perception of a single flash. Such illusory perceptions are associated to crossmodal changes in visual cortical excitability. Indeed, increasing occipital cortical excitability, by means of transcranial electrical currents, disrupts the SIFI (ie, fission illusion). Similarly, a reduced fission illusion was shown in patients with episod…

Effectiveness of a digital platform for sharing knowledge on headache management: a two-year experience

2018

It is crucial that all headache specialists receive adequate training. Considering the unsatisfactory results obtained with standard updating courses and the growing need for continuing professional education, a digital platform was developed as a training tool. The platform has been active since 1 October 2014. It is readily accessible to doctors by free registration. Users have access to all the material available on the platform, which includes scientific articles, e-books, presentations and images. Users can share their own material and clinical cases directly. At the time of this study, the platform had 37 users. In the second year following its launch 316 files were downloaded and fiv…

Alexithymic characteristics in pediatric patients with primary headache: a comparison between migraine and tension-type headache

2015

Background: Alexithymia is a personality construct characterized by difficulties in verbal emotional expression and a limited ability to use one’s imagination. Evidence of alexithymic characteristics was found in adults suffering from headache, while little is known about children. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of alexithymia in two different subgroups of children and adolescents suffering from primary headache. We also looked for correlation between alexithymia in children and in their mothers. Methods: This study involved 89 participants: 47 (11 males, 36 females, aged 8 to 17 years) suffering from tension-type headache (TTH), and 42 (18 males, 24 females, aged 8 t…

Headache attributed to aeroplane travel: the first multicentric survey in a paediatric population affected by primary headaches

2018

BACKGROUND: This multicentric survey investigates the prevalence and characteristics of Airplane Headache in children affected by primary headaches. METHODS: Patients with symptoms of Airplane Headache were recruited from nine Italian Pediatric Headache Centres. Each patient was handed a structured questionnaire which met the ICHD-III criteria. RESULTS: Among 320 children suffering from primary headaches who had flights during their lifetime, 15 (4.7%) had Airplane Headache, with mean age of 12.4 years. Most of the patients were females (80%). The headache was predominantly bilateral (80%) and localized to the frontal area (60%); it was mainly pulsating, and lasted less than 30 min in all c…

Different forms of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias in the same patient: description of a case.

2010

The trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs), including cluster headache, paroxysmal hemicrania and SUNCT, are characterized by the cardinal combination of short-lasting unilateral pain and autonomic phenomena affecting the head. Hemicrania continua (HC) shares many clinical characteristics with TACs, including unilateral pain and ipsilateral autonomic features. Nevertheless, HC is separately classified in the revised International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II). Here, we describe the case of a 45-year-old man presenting an unusual concurrence of different forms of primary headaches associated with autonomic signs, including subsequently ipsilateral cluster headache, SUNCT a…

"The Headache Week": a useful tool to highlight "invisible" migraineurs

2005

Increased Frequency of Migraine in Narcoleptic Patients: A Confirmatory Study

2003

Previously we have reported an increased prevalence of migraine in narcoleptic patients. Because of the theoretical and clinical implications of this finding we recruited an independent new study sample of 100 patients with proven narcolepsy and conducted a structured 26-item interview based on the international diagnostic criteria for headache disorders, the Kiel Headache Questionnaire. Narcolepsy symptoms were measured by means of the Stanford Centre for Narcolepsy Sleep Inventory. Migraine prevalence was twofold to fourfold increased in the narcoleptic patients and amounted to 44.4% in women and 28.3% in men. The onset of narcolepsy symptoms was 12.3 ± 11.4 years before the onset of mig…