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Wind instruments and headaches

Juan F Martínez-Lage1, Marcelo Galarza, Miguel-Angel Pérez-Espejo

  • 1Regional Service of Neurosurgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, 30120 El Palmar, Murcia, Spain. juanf.martinezlage@cablemurcia.com

Child'S Nervous System : Chns : Official Journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery
|September 13, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Playing wind instruments can worsen headaches in children with Chiari type 1 malformation or hydrocephalus. This may be due to increased intracranial pressure from Valsalva maneuvers, raising questions about advising young musicians to stop playing.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Musicology

Background:

  • Chiari type 1 malformation and hydrocephalus are conditions affecting the brain and cerebrospinal fluid.
  • Headaches are a common symptom in pediatric neurological disorders.
  • Playing wind instruments involves physiological changes that can affect intracranial pressure.

Observation:

  • Two pediatric patients with diagnosed Chiari type 1 malformation and hydrocephalus, respectively, experienced headaches.
  • Headache severity in both patients increased during wind instrument playing.
  • The Valsalva maneuver, common in wind instrument playing, was identified as a potential exacerbating factor.

Findings:

  • The study suggests a correlation between wind instrument playing and exacerbated headaches in children with specific neurological conditions.
  • Increased intracranial pressure, potentially induced by Valsalva maneuvers during musical performance, is hypothesized as the mechanism.
  • The findings highlight the impact of physical exertion and associated physiological responses on neurological symptoms.

Implications:

  • Clinicians should consider musical activities when evaluating headaches in children with Chiari type 1 malformation or hydrocephalus.
  • Further research is needed to understand the precise relationship between wind instrument playing and intracranial pressure.
  • The decision to advise young patients to discontinue musical activities requires careful consideration of potential impacts on quality of life and symptom management.

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