Personality inventory for children and childhood migraine. A case-controlled study

The personality inventory for children (PIC), which is similar in structure to the MMPI and hence free from subjective interpretation, is applicable to children from 6 to 16 years of age. We used it in 40 children with common migraine aged 8 to 14 years and in 40 controls comparable in age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Although the migraine subjects did not emerge as globally different from the controls, they presented significantly higher scores on the Somatic concern, Depression, and Anxiety scales, irrespective of sex. These results underline the value of PIC in the diagnostic assessment of childhood migraine.