MMPI changes associated with therapeutic intervention: a migraine control study

The investigation of personality traits of migraineurs with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is important research, but so far has led to diverse conclusions. This study aimed to investigate the influences of treatment intervention on the personality of migraineurs. Twenty-three Chinese patients (5 men, 18 women) with migraine (2 with aura, 21 without aura) were given the Chinese edition of the MMPI, before and after treatment, and were compared with 30 nonheadache healthy control subjects (6 men, 24 women). Statistical analyses were made among the three groups. The results revealed that patients in the pretreatment group with migraine had significantly higher scores on subtests of neuroticism (hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria) and schizophrenia. After treatment, the scores on subtests of hysteria, psychasthenia, and schizophrenia were remarkably lower (P < .05); the MMPI profile of the posttreatment group was within the reference range, but the scores of the neurotic scales were still higher than those of the healthy control group (P < .01). These results suggest that after treatment, disturbances in thinking, sentiment, and behavior were eliminated, and anxiety symptoms remarkably reduced, but some "migraine personality" characteristics remained and could influence the long-term results of treatment to some extent. It is suggested that management of migraine should include psychological intervention.