Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
Short lasting activity-related headaches with sudden onset in children: a case-based reasoning on classification and
Irene Toldo1, Debora De Carlo, Rodica Mardari
1Juvenile Headache Centre, Department of Woman and Child Health, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128, Padova, Italy. irene.toldo@unipd.it
Insights
Activity-related headaches in children, though rare, warrant investigation. Early diagnosis and neuroimaging are crucial for identifying serious underlying conditions like brain tumors or Chiari malformation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neuroimaging in Children
- Headache Disorders
Background:
- Activity-related headaches are uncommon in children and challenging to diagnose.
- Limited literature exists on pediatric cases of exertional or cough headaches.
Observation:
- Two pediatric cases of activity-related headaches are presented.
- Symptoms included sudden, short-lasting attacks triggered by cough or exercise.
- Neurological examinations were normal in both children.
Findings:
- Brain MRI revealed cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma in one child.
- Chiari 1 malformation was diagnosed in the second child.
- Both children underwent successful surgical treatment with good prognoses.
Implications:
- Neuroimaging is essential for children with new-onset, sudden, strain-triggered headaches, even with normal neurological exams.
- Early diagnosis and intervention are critical for favorable outcomes in pediatric secondary headaches.
- This highlights the importance of considering serious underlying pathologies in pediatric headache presentations.
Background:
Short lasting headaches related to activity or cough are rare, particularly in childhood, and can be difficult to diagnose, especially in young children who are not able to describe their symptoms. In the literature there are few data on this topic in adults and the paediatric cases reported are even more rare.
Findings:
We present the clinical history of a 7-year-old child and a 3-year-old child both diagnosed as having activity-related headaches, characterized by sudden onset of short lasting (few seconds) attacks, that were triggered by cough or exercise. There were no accompanying symptoms and the neurological examination was normal in both cases. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed, in the first case, a cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma and, in the second case, a Chiari 1 malformation. Both cases received an early diagnosis, were surgically treated and had a good prognosis at follow-up.
Conclusions:
When headache has a recent onset, it presents suddenly, and it is triggered by strain, even with normal neurological examination, neuroimaging is mandatory in order to exclude secondary headaches, especially in children.
More Related Videos
09:57Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Published on: September 20, 2024
07:02An Investigation of the Effects of Sports-related Concussion in Youth Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the Head Impact Telemetry System
Published on: January 12, 2011
Related Concept Videos
Epilepsy ll: Types
Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Seizures l: Introduction
Traumatic Brain Injury l: Introduction
Transient Ischemic Attack l: Introduction