The Rorschach Test Evaluation in Chronic Childhood Migraine: A Preliminary Multicenter Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Migraine without aura (MwA) affects a significant percentage of children and adolescents.
• Understanding the psychological underpinnings of MwA in pediatric populations is crucial for comprehensive care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the personality styles associated with children and adolescents diagnosed with MwA.
• To compare the Rorschach test findings of MwA patients with those of typically developing (TD) healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• The study included 137 patients (74 males) aged 7.3-17.4 years diagnosed with MwA based on IHs-3 criteria.
• The Rorschach test was administered, and its variables were statistically analyzed using t-Student's analysis.
• No significant differences in age or gender were found between the MwA and TD groups.

Main Results:

• Patients with MwA exhibited fewer whole responses (W) and fewer good quality W responses compared to controls.
• The MwA group showed a higher frequency of detailed responses, minor good quality responses, animal answers (A%), and trivial answers (Ban%).

Conclusions:

• Rorschach interpretation revealed unique aspects in the MwA population, suggesting a predisposition towards analytical rather than synthetic reasoning.
• Findings indicate a tendency towards practicality over creativity and oppositionality over external adaptation in children with MwA.
• These personality traits may be indicative of general maladaptivity in pediatric migraine patients.