Prevalence of migraine and muscle tension headache in depressive disorders

This study was undertaken in order to evaluate the prevalence of headache and its subtypes (migraine, muscle tension headache, cluster and psychogenic headache) in a population of 160 depressed patients. Headache was present in 83 subjects (51.9%); 36 (22.5%) were affected by migraine, 39 (24.4%) by muscle tension headache, six (3.7%) by psychogenic headache and two (1.2%) by cluster headache. No significant differences in the prevalence of migraine and muscle tension headache were observed among patients with major depression, bipolar depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder. These data speak against a specific correlation among subtypes of headache and depressive disorders.