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Transitional interpersonality thunderclap headache
1Department of Medicine, Franklin Medical Center, Greenfield, MA, USA.
Headache
|March 27, 2001
Summary
This study reports on severe headaches in a patient with multiple personality disorder (MPD). These headaches occurred exclusively during personality transitions, confirming transitional headaches in MPD.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Dissociative Disorders
Background:
- Headaches associated with multiple personality disorder (MPD) were first described 15 years ago.
- This study provides a current case report on this phenomenon.
Observation:
- A 54-year-old Holocaust survivor with diagnosed MPD experienced severe, acute "thunderclap" headaches.
- Headaches occurred exclusively during the transition between her host and pain-prone personalities.
Findings:
- No headaches were reported by any of the patient's distinct personalities outside of transition periods.
- Neurological examinations, electroencephalogram, and brain MRI were all normal, ruling out other organic causes.
Implications:
- Confirms the existence of transitional headaches in patients with MPD.
- These headaches can present as isolated events during personality shifts and mimic benign thunderclap headaches.