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Post-traumatic headache: neuropsychological and clinical aspects
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|August 1, 1983
Summary
Post-traumatic headache patients show impaired personal adjustment and well-being, impacting daily capabilities. Anxiety with somatizations is common, similar to general headache patients, despite no evident brain damage.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is a common sequela of cranial trauma.
- Understanding the psychological and functional impact of PTH is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between pain characteristics, personality, intellectual functions, and cranial trauma in PTH patients.
- To identify psychopathological conditions associated with PTH.
- To compare psychopathological findings in PTH patients with those of common headache patients.
Main Methods:
- Study included seventy patients diagnosed with post-traumatic headache.
- Assessment of pain characteristics, personality, and intellectual functions.
- Psychopathological evaluation using DSM III criteria.
Main Results:
- No evident signs of brain damage were observed in PTH patients.
- Impairment in personal adjustment and well-being was identified, affecting work and study.
- Anxiety with somatizations and conversion mechanisms was a prevalent psychopathological condition.
- No significant differences in psychopathological characteristics were found between PTH and common headache patient groups.
Conclusions:
- Post-traumatic headache is associated with significant functional impairments despite the absence of overt brain damage.
- Psychopathological profiles, particularly anxiety with somatizations, are similar in PTH and common headache sufferers.
- Further discussion on DSM III diagnostic possibilities for PTH is warranted.