Comprehensive Headache Experience in Collegiate Student-Athletes: An Initial Report From the NCAA Headache Task Force

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Neurology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Primary headache disorders present diagnostic challenges in athletes, especially concerning return to play after potential concussions.
• Limited data exists on the prevalence and characteristics of headaches specifically in collegiate student-athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and nature of headaches among collegiate student-athletes.
• To explore potential variations in headache occurrence based on sport type, sex, and medical history.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted.
• 834 student-athletes from NCAA Division-I institutions participated, providing data on personal/family headache history and concussion history.
• Surveys included questions on headache types (migraine, sinus, tension-type) and sport exposure (collision, contact, non-contact).

Main Results:

• 23.7% reported a history of migraine, 25.2% of sinus headache, and 12.3% of tension-type headache.
• Among athletes with prior concussion history, 46.3% of females reported migraine history versus 32.2% of males (P=.064).

Conclusions:

• The study highlights a significant prevalence of primary headache disorders in collegiate athletes.
• The increased prevalence of migraine in female athletes with concussion history warrants further investigation.
• The etiology of these headaches in athletes remains unclear, necessitating further research.