MMPI profiles in patients with headache or craniofacial pain: a comparative study

Our purpose was to examine the MMPI profiles of 157 patients with chronic headache or facial pain. The following diagnostic groups were considered: tension-type headache (n = 44); migraine + cluster headache + chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (20); trigeminal neuralgia (7); atypical facial pain (AFP) (33); temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) (53). There were two control groups: C1 of 27 healthy individuals and C2 of 18 patients with chronic pain located elsewhere. A "Pain Index" was calculated (0-10) which quantified pattern, duration and frequency of pain. The Italian MMPI abbreviated version was administered to all subjects. One-way Anova, the Duncan test and correlation analysis were performed. Of the diagnostic groups, AFP scored highest and TMJ lowest in all except three scales. In the AFP group, all neurotic scales scored above 70. The Pain Index correlated with higher scores on most scales. Chronic pain may lead to personality alterations, but some features of craniofacial pain correlate with specific personality disturbances.