Migraine: an informative method of communication

The Keypad Audience Response System can be used to obtain simultaneous information from a large number of people in an audience. Answers to specific questions are transmitted from a keypad (pressed by each participant) to a computer. The results are displayed on a screen within 20 seconds, expressed as percentages of total responses to each question and presented as bar diagrams or pie charts. At a meeting of the British Migraine Association, over 100 migraineurs learned how their attacks differed from, or resembled those of others. The speakers were able to clarify and discuss both questions and answers which confirmed previous findings about attack duration, prodromes, postdromes, effect of pregnancy, oral contraceptives and the menopause. Three new points emerged which merit further study: 1. Hormone replacement therapy aggravated migraine in 42% of women, 27% noted an improvement, and 31% observed no alteration. 2. Twenty-five percent prefer to sit up during an attack. 3. Seven percent reported prolonged attacks (3-7 days). The use of keypads at seminars or lectures is valuable in promoting enthusiastic audience participation, and the understanding of the diverse symptoms and manifestations of a condition. Although observations cannot be extrapolated to a wider population because all audiences are a selected group, new points requiring research may be highlighted.