Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
Single-item migraine screening tests, self-reported bothersome headache or stripe pattern hypersensitivity?
H Yuan1, M Hopkins1, J D Goldberg2
1Jefferson Headache Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Background:
A simple screening tool may potentially help the migraine diagnosis in a primary care setting. The use of single-item tests, such as stripe pattern hypersensitivity test and self-reported bothersome headache (HA) question, as migraine screening tools have not been fully explored.
Methods:
Two hundred and fifty-four subjects (patients and companions) were randomly enrolled from an OB/GYN clinic (men 82, women 172; age 38 ± 14). They were instructed to rate the stripe sensitivity level (0-4) and to report any bothersome HA (yes/no). A brief structured HA interview was conducted to describe the HA characteristics and for migraine diagnosis based on the ICHD-IIIβ criteria.
Results:
In a multivariate model, bothersome HA question and stripe pattern hypersensitivity test were both significantly associated with EM+PM+CM (odds ratio: 24.0, P < 0.01 vs 2.6, P = 0.01) or EM (odds ratio: 16.2, P < 0.01 vs 3.0, P < 0.01). Bothersome HA question had a greater screening power than stripe pattern hypersensitivity for screening EM+PM+CM (area under the ROC curve: 0.84 [95% CI 0.78-0.89] vs 0.62 [95% CI 0.55-0.69]) or EM (area under the ROC curve: 0.80 [95% CI 0.73-0.86] vs 0.64 [95% CI 0.56-0.72]).
Conclusion:
When performed in an OB/GYN clinic, self-reported bothersome HA question seemed more powerful than visual stripe pattern test in screening migraine thus could potentially be used as a single-item screening test.
