Population-based validation of a German-language self-administered headache questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Epidemiology
• Diagnostic Tool Validation

Background:

• Headache disorders are prevalent globally, necessitating reliable diagnostic tools.
• Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and epidemiological research.
• Existing self-administered questionnaires require validation in diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a German-language self-administered headache questionnaire.
• To assess the questionnaire's accuracy for migraine (M), tension-type headache (TTH), and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC).
• To evaluate the questionnaire's utility in a general population sample.

Main Methods:

• A German headache questionnaire was administered to a general population sample (n=240).
• Subjects were randomly selected and categorized by the questionnaire: M, TTH, M+TTH, and TAC.
• A subset (n=193) underwent examination by headache specialists for comparison.

Main Results:

• The questionnaire demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity for migraine (0.85/0.85) and M+TTH (0.82/0.87).
• Tension-type headache diagnosis showed moderate accuracy (0.6/0.88).
• The questionnaire was unreliable for diagnosing trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia, with only 2 of 45 suspected cases confirmed as cluster headache by specialists.

Conclusions:

• The validated German questionnaire is suitable for diagnosing migraine, TTH, and combined M+TTH in the general population.
• The questionnaire is not reliable for diagnosing trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia.
• Screening tools for epidemiological research should be validated using general population samples, not solely in specialized clinics.