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Cognitive performance in patients with episodic cluster headache outside and inside the active cluster
María Pilar Navarro-Pérez1,2, Elena Bellosta-Diago1,2, Alejandro Viloria-Alebesque2,3
1Neurology Department, University Clinic Hospital Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain.
Headache
|February 22, 2021
Summary
Cognitive performance in episodic cluster headache (ECH) patients remains stable whether they are in or out of an active cluster (AC). Sleep quality, however, may worsen when ECH patients are outside the AC.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Previous research indicates impaired cognitive function in cluster headache (CH) patients.
- Cognitive performance variations in episodic cluster headache (ECH) patients during and outside active cluster (AC) periods are not well-understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cognitive function in ECH patients during AC periods versus outside AC periods.
- To investigate the impact of AC status on cognitive performance in ECH.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, observational study involving 21 ECH patients.
- Administration of four neuropsychological tests: Trail Making Test (TMT), Stroop Test (ST), verbal fluency (VF), and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDT).
- Assessment of self-reported sleep quality and presence of anxiety/depressive symptoms, with comparisons made between ECH patients inside and outside AC.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in TMT, ST, SDMT, or VF test scores between ECH patients inside and outside AC periods.
- ECH patients exhibited poorer sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) when outside of an AC compared to when inside an AC.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive performance in ECH patients is consistent regardless of whether they are experiencing an active cluster period or not.
- Sleep quality is a potential factor that may be affected by the AC status in ECH patients.
