Health-related and condition-specific quality of life in episodic cluster headache

Health-related quality of life was studied in 35 episodic cluster headache (CH) patients during and after the cluster period, using a generic (SF-36) and a headache-specific (MSQ2.1) instrument. The results were compared with those of age- and sex-matched migraineurs (n = 53) and healthy persons (n = 62). During the cluster period patients had lower scores than controls in all SF-36 and MSQ2.1 domains. The difference was significant for most SF-36 and all MSQ2.1 domains. Although CH patients had lower scores than migraineurs on most scales, the difference was significant only on SF-36 scores measuring bodily pain and social functioning. There was a good correlation between the two instruments. After the termination of the cluster period the quality of life of patients was similar to that of headache-free controls. Generic and headache-specific QoL are severely impaired in CH and this impairment is at least as severe as in migraine.