Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
10:39
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
Changing headache from preschool age to puberty. A controlled study.
R Virtanen1, M Aromaa, P Rautava
1Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. ruut.virtanen@utu.fi
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|March 23, 2007
Summary
Childhood headaches, including migraine and tension-type headache, often evolve. Early headache types in children can predict migraine in puberty, with changes in symptoms and pain location over time.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Primary headaches are common in childhood.
- Understanding headache evolution is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Longitudinal studies are needed to track headache progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the natural course of primary headaches in children.
- To identify changes in headache types and associated symptoms from childhood to puberty.
- To explore the predictive value of early headache manifestations for later headache types.
Main Methods:
- A population-based cohort study involving 1132 Finnish families.
- Questionnaires administered to families of 6-year-old children.
- Clinical examinations of children with and without headaches at ages 6 and 13.
Main Results:
- Migraine in childhood evolved into tension-type headache in 32% of cases.
- Tension-type headache in childhood transformed into migraine in 38% of cases.
- Headache location shifted from supraorbital to temporal, and associated symptoms like photophobia and dizziness increased by puberty.
Conclusions:
- Headache types in children are dynamic and can change significantly by puberty.
- Early diagnosis of childhood headaches is important as they can evolve.
- The study highlights the changing nature of pediatric headaches and associated symptoms over time.
