[Long-term studies of patients with headache and pathological EEG]

In 53 patients, consulting for headache of different types, a pathological EEG had been observed several years ago; at this time, a neurological or medical origin of the bioelectric abnormalities could not be found. These patients (average age: 32.4 y.) were reexamined systematically after an average delay of 3 years. Generally, one observes a clear improvement or a normalization of the EEG and the clinical state. In 1/9 only of the population the EEG-abnormalities persisted. All these patients belonged to a subgroup, where certain complicating factors (cerebral-organic or general) could be specified. No brain tumour had developed meanwhile. The authors conclude: a pathological EEG in the context of headache does not obligatory indicate bad prognosis.