Clinical comparisons between post-traumatic headache and migraine: A cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Traumatic Brain Injury Research
• Headache Medicine

Background:

• Persistent post-traumatic headache (PTH) is a disabling condition following mild traumatic brain injury.
• Understanding its clinical profile compared to migraine is crucial for effective management.
• Current treatment strategies for PTH often lack specific evidence-based guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and patient-reported outcomes in persistent PTH versus episodic or chronic migraine.
• To identify similarities and differences that can inform clinical practice.
• To evaluate the burden of illness associated with persistent PTH.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving adults with persistent PTH and adults with episodic or chronic migraine.
• Data collected via semi-structured interviews and standardized questionnaires (HIT-6, MIDAS, HADS, CSI, WHODAS-2.0, NDI, ODI).
• Comparison of headache features, treatment patterns, and PROMs between groups.

Main Results:

• 132 participants with persistent PTH and 751 with migraine were enrolled.
• Persistent PTH patients reported high headache frequency (27.2 days/month) and a migraine-like phenotype (93.9%).
• PTH group showed significantly higher disability scores (MIDAS, HADS-Anxiety/Depression, CSI, WHODAS-2.0, NDI) compared to episodic migraine, with no marked differences from chronic migraine.

Conclusions:

• Persistent PTH presents a similar disability and headache profile to chronic migraine.
• This suggests that management strategies effective for chronic migraine may be applicable to persistent PTH.
• Targeted management approaches are needed for individuals with persistent PTH to improve outcomes.