Headache and comorbidity in children and adolescents

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism (MTHFR C677T) and headache in children: a retrospective study from a tertiary level outpatient service

Background

In adult studies the MTHFR C677T polymorphism has been associated with an increased risk of migraine, but little research has been done in this area in children.

Methods

A retrospective study of children referred with headache to a tertiary level Paediatric Neurology Service between 2008 and 2012. This study included only patients who had been genotyped for the MTHFR C677T polymorphism. An evaluation of homocysteine serum levels was necessary to exclude other types of migraine.

Conclusion

Compared with the wild-type genotype, the T/T genotype was associated with an increased risk of any type of migraine, though the statistical significance was greatest in migraine with aura. The homocysteine serum levels were significantly higher in migraine with aura compared to migraine without aura. In a pediatric population MTHFR T/T homozygosity influences susceptibility to migraine.

Headache, comorbidities and lifestyle in an adolescent population (The TEENs Study)

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of headache and its relationship with comorbidities and lifestyle in a teenage population.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study. Data was collected from students aged 12-18 years from six different schools in Catalonia, Spain. They completed an anonymous questionnaire with demographic, lifestyle, medical data, presence of recurrent headaches and its features, and completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. We defined probable migraine if headache presented ≥ 3 ICHD-3 beta criteria for migraine. An analysis was performed to evaluate headache characteristics and compare lifestyles between those with or without headache.

RESULTS

1619 out of 1873 students completed the survey (response rate 86.4%). From these, 30.5% suffered from recurrent headache and 11.3% had migraine features; 32.9% of adolescents with headache had at least one episode per week and 44.1% showed some degree of headache-related disability measured by the PedMIDAS scale. In a univariate analysis, headache was significantly more frequent in girls (35.1% vs. 25.5%, p < 0.001), teenagers with poor sleeping habits (36.6% vs. 27.6%, p < 0.001), lower physical activity ( p = 0.002), those who did not have breakfast (37.3 vs. 28.4%, p = 0.001), smokers (10.5% vs. 4.9%, p < 0.001) and caffeine overusers (30.9% vs. 24.7%, p = 0.009). Comorbidities significantly associated with headache were: allergies (38.8% vs. 29.3%, p = 0.007), other chronic pain disorders (44.7% vs. 27.6% p < 0.001), mental health problems (53.2% vs. 29.0%, p < 0.001) and worse SDQ scores ( p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Headache is a common health problem among adolescents which impacts their quality of life. Headache is associated with presence of "unhealthy lifestyle" and other medical comorbidities. Educational initiatives should be started.

Stress management for headaches in children and adolescents: A review and practical recommendations for health promotion programs and well-being

Stress is considered to be the most common factor reported to trigger headaches in children and adolescents. Although tension-type headache and migraine are the two most common types of headache in children and adolescents, they are often untreated, ignoring their stressful background. We provide a narrative review of the available evidence for health-care professionals involved in stress-related headache management and health promotion programs. An integrative plan is delivered through lifestyle improvement and biopsychosocial modifying stress response techniques. Healthy dietary choices, sleep hygiene, and regular exercise, although limited, are effective for young sufferers. Biopsychosocial therapies such as relaxation, biofeedback, hypnosis, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy, and acupuncture focus at stress physiological and behavioral relief. Our purpose is to suggest a stress-related headache management to empower children to make healthy choices in order to improve their lifelong well-being and quality of life. We aim to authorize relationship between nurses and other health-care providers with background knowledge around stress management for pediatric headache populations.

ADHD is associated with migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis

An association between primary headaches and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has long been suggested. Moreover, headache is regarded as a common side effect of stimulants, the most effective treatment for ADHD. So far, no systematic review has evaluated the potential association between ADHD and headache. We performed a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis of all reported studies on ADHD and primary headaches. Our analysis showed a positive association between ADHD and migraine (OR 1.322, 95% CI 1.018-1717, p value 0.036), but not with tension-type headache. There is a significant association between migraine and ADHD. The mechanisms underlying this association remain to be elucidated, warranting further studies.

Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Parasomnias and Migraine: A Role of Orexinergic Projections

Introduction

Sleep and migraine share a common pathophysiological substrate, although the underlying mechanisms are unknown. The serotonergic and orexinergic systems are both involved in the regulation of sleep/wake cycle, and numerous studies show that both are involved in the migraine etiopathogenesis. These two systems are anatomically and functionally interconnected. Our hypothesis is that in migraine a dysfunction of orexinergic projections on the median raphe (MR) nuclei, interfering with serotonergic regulation, may cause Non-Rapid Eye Movement parasomnias, such as somnambulism.

Hypothesis/theory

Acting on the serotonergic neurons of the raphe nuclei, the dysfunction of orexinergic neurons would lead to a higher release of serotonin. The activation of serotonergic receptors located on the walls of large cerebral vessels would lead to abnormal vasodilatation and consequently increase transmural pressure. This process could activate the trigeminal nerve terminals that innervate vascular walls. As a consequence, there is activation of sensory nerve endings at the level of hard vessels in the meninges, with release of pro-inflammatory peptides (e.g., substance P and CGRP). Within this hypothetical frame, the released serotonin could also interact with trigeminovascular afferents to activate and/or facilitate the release of the neuropeptide at the level of the trigeminal ganglion. The dysregulation of the physiological negative feedback of serotonin on the orexinergic neurons, in turn, would contribute to an alteration of the whole system, altering the sleep–wake cycle.

Conclusion

Serotonergic neurons of the MR nuclei receive an excitatory input from hypothalamic orexin/hypocretin neurons and reciprocally inhibit orexin/hypocretin neurons through the serotonin 1A receptor (or 5-HT1A receptor). Considering this complex system, if there is an alteration it may facilitate the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the migraine, while it may produce at the same time an alteration of the sleep–wake rhythm, causing sleep disorders such as sleepwalking. Understanding the complex mechanisms underlying migraine and sleep disorders and how these mechanisms can interact with each other, it would be crucial to pave the way for new therapeutic strategies.

Headache Diagnosis in Children and Adolescents

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Headache phenotypes can differ between adults and children. While most headaches are due to primary headache disorders, in a small population, they can be an indication of a potentially life-threatening neurologic condition. The challenge lies in identifying warning signs that warrant further workup. This article reviews different types of pediatric headaches and headache evaluation in children and teens, and focuses on the approach for diagnosis of secondary headaches.

RECENT FINDINGS

Common thought is that increased frequency and severity of headache may reflect secondary pathology; however, headache phenotype may not be fully developed and can evolve in adolescence or adulthood. Headache location, particularly occipital headache alone, does not necessarily signify secondary intracranial pathology. Certain warning signs warrant neuroimaging, but others only warrant imaging in certain clinical contexts. Brain MRI is the neuroimaging modality of choice, though there is a high rate of incidental findings and often does not change headache management. A stepwise approach is essential to avoid missing secondary headaches. There are several differences between adults and children in clinical manifestations of headache. Evaluation and diagnosis of pediatric headache starts with a thorough headache and medical history, family and social history, and identification of risk factors. A thorough physical and neurologic exam is important, with close attention to features that could suggest secondary headache pathology. Neuroimaging and other testing should only be performed if there is concern for secondary headache.

Comorbidity of Migraine, Major Depressive Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents and Young Adults

PURPOSE

Depression and anxiety are highly comorbid psychiatric conditions and both are common in adult patients with migraine. This study aims to examine the unique associations between major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in a well-characterized group of older adolescents and college-age individuals with migraine.

METHOD

Participants (N =  227), between 15 and 20 years old, who were unmedicated or within 1 month of beginning antidepressant treatment underwent a comprehensive psychiatric assessment to establish the presence of MDD and GAD, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, and to rate their symptom severity using the Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation for Adolescents (A-LIFE). They then completed the ID-Migraine. The Student's t test and chi-square test were used to compare continuous and categorical variables, respectively, across participants with vs. without migraine. Logistic regression analysis examined the association between the presence of migraine and psychopathology.

RESULTS

A diagnosis of MDD was associated with significantly increased risk of having migraine. Moreover, more severe and persistent ratings of depression were associated with an even higher likelihood of having migraine. A diagnosis of GAD was also significantly associated with the presence of migraine. The prevalence of comorbid MDD and GAD was significantly higher in participants with migraine than those without migraine (55 vs. 22%, p < 0.0001). When examined concurrently, GAD remained significantly associated with migraine, with a statistical trend for MDD to be associated with it.

CONCLUSION

The comorbidity of migraine, MDD, and GAD has important clinical and research implications. Patients who suffer from any of these problems should be screened for all three in order to receive comprehensive care. Shared psychological and biological vulnerabilities may be involved in the three conditions. Greater understanding of the shared vulnerabilities can lead to unified treatments.

Recent advances in the management of chronic migraine in children

INTRODUCTION

Migraine is a chronic-recurrent disorder that progresses in some adults and also in many children. Chronic migraine (CM) is the clinical result of this process. Since migraine does not progress in most children, identifying the risk factors for progression is an important public health priority that should be matched by evidence-based treatment. Areas covered: Herein we conduct a systematic review on the comorbidities and treatment of CM in children and adolescents in the last ten years, summarizing evidence-based recommendations for disease management. Expert commentary: By conceptualizing CM as the result of migraine progression from an episodic form, we suggest avoiding CM at the outset through development of aggressive, preventive interventions as the goal of headache management in the pediatric population. Key interventions include: Decreasing headache frequency with behavioral and pharmacologic interventions; Monitoring body mass index and encouraging maintenance of normal weight; Avoiding medication overuse; Screening and treating comorbidities.

Headache and Alexithymia in Children and Adolescents: What Is the Connection?

Background: Headache is one of the most common complaints in children and adolescents and comorbidity rates are very high and the major associated diseases are depression, anxiety, atopic disorders, sleep, and behavioral disorders. In recent years, it has been highlighted that difficulties regulating emotions such as alexithymia have also been associated with diagnosis of somatization. Methods: We carried out a mini review analyzing the relation between alexithymia and primary headache (e.g., migraine and tension type headache) in children and adolescents by synthesizing the relevant studies in the literature on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Search terms were "alexithymia" combined with the "primary headache," "migraine," "tension type headache," "children," and "adolescents." Results: All analyzed studies found higher levels of alexithymia in children and adolescents with headache than control groups but there are different opinions about the relationship between headache and alexithymia. For example, some studies suggest that the association between headache and alexithymia in children may be due to an incomplete development of emotive competency or a general immature cognitive development, instead other studies found a correlation between headache symptoms, insecure attachment, and alexithymia. There seems to be also differences between children with migraine compared to those with tension type headache (TTH). Conclusion: There are some studies on adults suffering from headache or migraine and alexithymia, but there is only a moderate amount of research on pediatric age with different opinions and theories about this relationship. Further studies on children and adolescents are necessary to effectively understand this relationship and to help children to reduce headache and improve emotional consciousness.

Comparison of the Quality of Sleep and Intensity of Headache between Migraine, Tension Headache, and Healthy Children

OBJECTIVES

Headache and sleep problems are commonly reported in children, and both can adversely impact the child's life. We aimed to compare the sleep quality and intensity of headache between school-age children with migraine as well as tension headache and healthy children.

MATERIALS & METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 198 children 6-12 yr old in three groups were enrolled from Aug 2015 to Mar 2016. Migraine and tension headache groups from the Outpatient Clinic of Imam Khomeini of Hamadan, western Iran and healthy group from elementary schools were randomly selected (66 children in each group). Data were collected using demographic questionnaire, Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), Numeric Scale of Pain Intensity and Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS by descriptive statistic and multivariate ANOVA, one way ANOVA, Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis and linear regression tests.

RESULTS

Approximately, 45.5% of children with migraine and 37.9% of them with tension headache had experienced severe headache. Only a significant relationship was seen between mean scores of headache intensity and sleep quality in migraine group (P<0.05). There was a significant difference in mean scores of sleep quality among three groups (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The children with migraine experienced more unsuitable sleep in duration of severe headache. Highlighting the co-morbidity between intensity of headache and sleep problem of children with migraine and tension headache is important to improve treatment strategies and to know the impact of headache on their normal life.

Metacognition and Headache: Which Is the Role in Childhood and Adolescence?

Headache, in particular migraine, is one of the most frequent neurological symptoms in children and adolescents and it affects about 60% of children and adolescents all over the world. Headache can affect several areas of child’s functioning, such as school, physical activities, peer, and family relationship. The global and severe burden of this disease requires a multidisciplinary strategy and an effective treatment addressed all of the patient’s needs and based on cutting-edge scientific research. In recent years, research has focused on cognitive factors specifically in functions called metacognitive processes. Metacognition can be defined as the knowledge, beliefs, and cognitive processes involved in monitoring, control, and assessment of cognition. Metacognition seems to be closely related to the ability of theory of mind, the ability to infer, and reason about the mental states of other people in order to predict and explain own behavior. Recent studies found a relationship between metacognitive skills and anxiety, depression, motivation, academic performance, human social interactions, and stress symptoms. This relationship is very interesting for headache treatment, because these factors are the most commonly reported triggers in this disorder and there is a high comorbidity with anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with headache. So, headache and these comorbidities, in particular anxiety and depression, may have in common persistent and maladaptive patterns of thinking which are related to maladaptive metacognitive beliefs. Further research should assess metacognitive processes of children and adolescents with headache in order to increase their ability to control their own cognitive processes and consequently monitor factors which may trigger the attacks.

The Rorschach Test Evaluation in Chronic Childhood Migraine: A Preliminary Multicenter Case-Control Study

OBJECT

About 1.2-3.2% of children at 7 years of age with increasing age up to 4-19% in adolescents are suffering from migraine without aura (MwA). The aim of the present study is investigating the personality style associated with children and adolescents affected by MwA, administrating the Rorschach test, and comparing with typical developing healthy controls (TD).

METHODS

137 patients (74 males), aged 7.3-17.4 years (mean age 11.4, SD 3.02 years), affected by MwA according to the IHs-3 criteria. The Rorschach variables were treated as numerical variables and statistically tested with t-Student's analysis.

RESULTS

No statistical differences were found between the MwA and TD for age (p = 0.55), and gender (p = 0.804). From the comparison between the two samples, MwA group shows lower W responses (p < 0.001), good quality W responses (p < 0.001), high frequency of detailed responses (p < 0.001), the presence of even minor form of good quality responses (p < 0.001), increased presence of animals answers (A%) (p < 0.001), more frequent trivial answers (Ban%) (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

Rorschach interpretation pinpointed many interesting and, perhaps, peculiar aspects in our MwA population such as a trend predisposition for: analytical reasoning rather than synthetic, ease/practicality rather than creativity, oppositionality rather than external adaptation to the environment that may be interpreted as effect of general maladaptivity.

Longitudinal study shows that depression in childhood is associated with a worse evolution of headaches in adolescence

AIM

The aim of this study was to examine the course of headache diagnosis, headache frequency, anxiety, comorbid depressive symptoms and school absenteeism in adolescents with migraine and tension-type headaches five years after baseline.

METHODS

We followed a group of 122 children with a mean age of 10.1 (±1.3) years, with headache from a paediatric migraine centre in Paris who had taken part in a previous study from September 2007 to June 2008. This five-year longitudinal study took place in January to June 2012. The measures that were used included demographic variables, headache diagnosis, headache data and a psychological assessment.

RESULTS

At the five-year point, about 22% of the children had become headache free, 34% had little to no disability, and 36% had a changed diagnosis. Moreover, a longer history of headache at baseline was associated with a worse evolution of headache at follow-up. Lastly, high depression scores, but not anxiety, were a predictor of more headache disability at follow-up.

CONCLUSION

High depression scores in childhood were a risk factor that was associated with persistence and worsening of headaches in adolescence. This suggests that mental health assessments should be carried out in paediatric headache pain clinics.

Experts' opinion about the primary headache diagnostic criteria of the ICHD-3rd edition beta in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

The 2013 International Classification of Headache Disorders-3 (ICHD-3) was published in a beta version to allow the clinicians to confirm the validity of the criteria or to suggest improvements based on field studies. The aim of this work was to review the Primary Headache Disorders Section of ICHD-3 beta data on children and adolescents (age 0-18 years), and to suggest changes, additions, and amendments.

METHODS

Several experts in childhood headache across the world applied different aspects of ICHD-3 beta in their normal clinical practice. Based on their personal experience and the literature available on pediatric headache, they made observations and proposed suggestions for the primary headache disorders section of ICHD-3 beta data on children and adolescents.

RESULTS

Some headache disorders in children have specific features which are different from those seen in adults and which should be acknowledged and considered. Some features in children were found to be age-dependent: clinical characteristics, risks factors and etiologies have a strong bio psycho-social basis in children and adolescents making primary headache disorders in children distinct from those in adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Several recommendations are presented in order to make ICHD-3 more appropriate for use with children.

Headache in Resource-Limited Settings

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review summarizes the unmet need of headache burden and management in resource-limited settings. It provides a general overview of the nuances and peculiarities of headache disorders in resource-limited settings. The review delivers perspectives and explanations for the emerging burden of both primary and secondary headache disorders. Important discussion on demographic and epidemiologic transition pertinent to low-resource settings is included. A critical analysis of headache disorders is made within the context of growing burden non-communicable disorders in low-resource countries. Challenges are examined and prospective feasible solutions tailored to existing resources are provided to address headache disorders in resource-limited settings.

RECENT FINDINGS

Many low-resource countries are entering into the third epidemiological transition featuring increasing burden of non-communicable disorders of which headache disorders contribute a significant proportion. Exponential population growth involving youthful demographic and massive rural-urban migration is taking place in low-resource countries. Youthful demographic is the natural cohort for primary headache such as migraine. Socioeconomic mobility and lifestyle changes are leading to higher levels of physical inactivity and obesity, both of which are related to headache. Life expectancy is rising in some resource-restricted countries; this increases prevalence of secondary headache attributed to neurovascular causes. Many low-resource countries are still burdened with tropical infectious causes of secondary headache. Health care facilities are primarily designed to respond to infectious epidemic and not to chronic burden such as headache. Many low-resource-restricted settings are plagued by poor and corrupt governance, ill-equipped regimes with malfunctioning health policies, war, and poverty. Many low-resource settings do not have access to generic headache medications such as triptans. Headache training and expertise is low. Healthy lifestyle changes emphasizing on improving regular exercise can be inexpensive method to reducing primary headache burden and its comorbidities (e.g. obesity). Addressing the increasing burden of headache disorders in resource-limited settings is important to avert accrued disability which in turn lowers productivity and socioeconomic performance in a young booming population.

Sleep in adolescents and young adults

Sleep has an important role in maintaining health and wellbeing; this relationship is becoming increasingly recognised for adolescents and young adults. Many physicians will encounter young people who present with complaints or conditions that have some relation to poor sleep. This review article looks at why sleep matters within this population group, how it can impact on longer term health consequences and discusses some tools to help enable the clinician to evaluate and address sleep within clinical practice.

Early childhood trajectories of separation anxiety: Bearing on mental health, academic achievement, and physical health from mid-childhood to preadolescence

BACKGROUND

Separation anxiety disorder is the most prevalent childhood anxiety condition, but no study assessed children for separation anxiety at preschool age and followed them longitudinally and directly until mid-childhood/early adolescence.

METHODS

Multi-informant (children, teachers, family), multipoint (at age 8, 10, 12, 13) assessments of 1,290 children of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, who had been categorized between age 1.5 and 6 into four specific separation anxiety trajectories (1, low-persistent; 2, low-increasing; 3, high-decreasing, and the less common: 4, high-increasing) by growth mixture modeling. Participants in the high-increasing trajectory were compared to participants in the other three trajectories for: (a) child's internalizing and externalizing problem behavior; (b) physical health; (c) academic achievement; (d) maternal anxiety.

RESULTS

Multivariate analyses of variance/covariance at separate time points showed the high-increasing trajectory mostly associated with: (a) higher internalizing, but not externalizing, behavior; (b) worse academic achievement (most consistently by comparisons to the normative low-persistent trajectory; (c) higher rates of maternal panic/agoraphobic anxiety; (d) worse physical health (most consistently by comparisons to the low-persistent trajectory). The high-increasing trajectory had twofold to threefold higher incidences of physical illnesses than the normative low-persistent group; this was specific for headaches at age 12 years, chronic asthma at age 10 and 13, and having received asthma-related medication during the past 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

High-increasing separation anxiety in preschool maintains longitudinal relationships to independent health and academic outcomes, at least until preadolescence. This knowledge can inform the deployment of clinical resources at the earlier signs of the more impairing manifestations.

Prevalence of headache in adolescents and association with use of computer and videogames

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of headache in adolescents and its association with excessive use of electronic devices and games. The sample comprised 954 adolescents of both sexes (14 to 19 years) who answered a questionnaire about use of computers and electronic games, presence of headache and physical activity. The binary and multinomial logistic regression, with significance level of 5% was used for inferential analysis. The prevalence of headache was 80.6%. The excessive use of electronics devices proved to be a risk factor (OR = 1.21) for headache. Subjects aged between 14 and 16 years were less likely to report headache (OR = 0.64). Regarding classification, 17.9% of adolescents had tension-type headache, 19.3% had migraine and 43.4% other types of headache. The adolescents aged form 14 to 16 years had lower chance (OR ≤ 0.68) to report the tension-type headache and other types of headache. The excessive use of digital equipment, electronic games and attending the third year of high school proved to be risk factors for migraine-type development (OR ≥ 1.84). There was a high prevalence of headache in adolescents and high-time use of electronic devices. We observed an association between excessive use of electronic devices and the presence of headache, and this habit is considered a risk factor, especially for the development of migraine-type.

Determinants for craniofacial pains in children 6-8 years of age: the PANIC study

OBJECTIVE

Determinants for orofacial pain, headache, morning headache and painful signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were investigated in prepubertal children.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The participants were a population sample of 439 children aged 6-8 years. Craniofacial pains, eating meals and snacks, sleep bruxism, sleep quality, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), psychological well-being, parental education and household income were assessed by questionnaires filled out by the parents. Sleep duration was assessed using a combined heart rate and movement sensor and clinical signs of TMD and dental occlusion by a dentist. The determinants of pain conditions were analyzed using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of all 439 children, 26% had experienced orofacial pain and 31% headache during the past 3 months, 17% had suffered morning headache weekly and 13% had painful signs of TMD in a clinical examination. Restless sleep was associated with increased risk of orofacial pain, the painful signs of TMD and restless sleep with increased risk of headache and restless sleep, sleep bruxism and skipping meals with increased risk of morning headache after adjustment for other independent determinants of these pain conditions. Headache was associated with increased risk for painful signs of TMD.

CONCLUSIONS

Craniofacial pains are common among prepubertal children. Prepubertal children with sleep bruxism, restless sleep and skipping meals have increased likelihood of craniofacial pains.

Orexin System: The Key for a Healthy Life

The orexin-A/hypocretin-1 and orexin-B/hypocretin-2 are neuropeptides synthesized by a cluster of neurons in the lateral hypothalamus and perifornical area. Orexin neurons receive a variety of signals related to environmental, physiological and emotional stimuli, and project broadly to the entire CNS. Orexin neurons are “multi-tasking” neurons regulating a set of vital body functions, including sleep/wake states, feeding behavior, energy homeostasis, reward systems, cognition and mood. Furthermore, a dysfunction of orexinergic system may underlie different pathological conditions. A selective loss orexin neurons was found in narcolepsia, supporting the crucial role of orexins in maintaining wakefulness. In animal models, orexin deficiency lead to obesity even if the consume of calories is lower than wildtype counterpart. Reduced physical activity appears the main cause of weight gain in these models resulting in energy imbalance. Orexin signaling promotes obesity resistance via enhanced spontaneous physical activity and energy expenditure regulation and the deficiency/dysfunction in orexins system lead to obesity in animal models despite of lower calories intake than wildtype associated with reduced physical activity. Interestingly, orexinergic neurons show connections to regions involved in cognition and mood regulation, including hippocampus. Orexins enhance hippocampal neurogenesis and improve spatial learning and memory abilities, and mood. Conversely, orexin deficiency results in learning and memory deficits, and depression.

The role of attachment insecurity in the emergence of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents with migraine: an empirical study

Background

It is widely recognised that there are associations between headache, psychiatric comorbidity and attachment insecurity in both adults and children. The aims of this study were: 1) to compare perceived attachment security and anxiety in children and adolescents with migraine without aura and a healthy control group; 2) to test whether the child’s perceived security of attachment to the mother and the father mediated the association between migraine and anxiety.

Methods

One hundred children and adolescents with Migraine without Aura were compared with a control group of 100 children without headache. The Security Scale (measures perceived security of attachments) and the Self-Administered Psychiatric Scales for Children and Adolescents, a measure of anxiety symptoms, were administered to all participants.

Results

The clinical group had lower attachment security than the control group and higher scores on all anxiety scales. Anxiety was negatively correlated with attachment. Children’s attachment to their mother mediated the increase in global anxiety in the clinical group. Insecure paternal attachment was associated with greater insecurity in maternal attachment, suggesting that there is a complex pathway from migraine to anxiety symptoms mediated by perceived insecurity of paternal attachment and hence also by perceived insecurity of maternal attachment.

Conclusion

These results suggest that insecure parental attachment may exacerbate anxiety in children and adolescents with migraine and point to the importance of multimodal interventions, perhaps taking account of family relationships, for children and adolescents with migraine.

Symptoms of central sensitization and comorbidity for juvenile fibromyalgia in childhood migraine: an observational study in a tertiary headache center

Background

Central sensitization is an important epiphenomenon of the adult migraine, clinically expressed by allodynia, pericranial tenderness and comorbidity for fibromyalgia in a relevant number of patients. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and the clinical characteristics of allodynia, pericranial tenderness, and comorbidity for Juvenile Fibromialgia (JFM) in a cohort of migraine children selected in a tertiary headache center.

Methods

This was an observational cross-sectional study on 8–15 years old migraine patients. Allodynia was assessed by a questionnaire. Pericranial tenderness and comorbidity for JFM as well as their possible association with poor quality of life and migraine related disability, and with other clinical symptoms as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and pain catastrophizing, were also evaluated.

Results

One hundred and fifty one patients were selected, including chronic migraine (n°47), migraine without aura (n° 92) and migraine with aura (n° 12) sufferers. Allodynia was reported in the 96,6% and pericranial tenderness was observed in the 68.8% of patients. Pericranial tenderness was more severe in patients with more frequent migraine and shorter sleep duration. Allodynia seemed associated with anxiety, pain catastrophizing and high disability scores. Comorbidity for JFM was present in the 0.03% ofpatients. These children presented with a severe depression and a significant reduction of quality of life as compared to the other patients.

Conclusions

This study outlined a relevant presence of symptoms of central sensitization among children with migraine. Severe allodynia and comorbidity for JFM seemed to cause a general decline of quality of life, which would suggest the opportunity of a routine assessment of these clinical features.

From 0° to 18°: how headache changes over time

Recognize the presence of headache at early age is essential to prevent that the disorder interferes with physical, psychological and social functioning. However, there are several differences between adults and children in the clinical manifestation of headache such as quality and severity of pain, trigger, associated symptoms, gender, duration of attacks, number of daytime attacks, comorbidities and red flags of secondary headache. These differences can make the diagnosis more complex in early ages than in adults, so it is essential to know how headache changes over time to identify its presence in the earliest phases of childhood.

A comprehensive approach to understand somatic symptoms and their impact on emotional and psychosocial functioning in children

INTRODUCTION

Somatic symptoms are frequently reported by children with significant impairment in functioning. Despite studies on adult populations that suggest somatic symptoms often co-occur with difficulties in identifying and describing feelings, little research has been done in childhood. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and frequency of somatic symptoms as well as to investigate the functional impairment in children with high number of self reported somatic symptoms versus those with fewer somatic symptoms. Additionally the parental perception of their children's somatic symptoms and functioning was explored. Finally, we explored the direct and indirect effects of difficulties in identifying feelings in predicting somatic symptoms and functional disability among school-aged children.

METHODS

356 Italian school-aged children and their mothers participated in this study. Children (mean age = 11.43; SD = 2.41) completed the Children's Somatization Inventory (CSI-24) to assess somatic symptoms, the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) to assess physical and psychosocial functioning and the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC) to evaluate alexithymic features. Mothers completed the parental forms of the CSI and the FDI.

RESULTS

Among children, 66.3% did not declare somatic symptoms and 33.7% reported one or more somatic symptoms in the last two weeks. A significant positive correlation emerged between children's and mothers' CSI total scores. Both children's and mothers' FDI total scores were significantly correlated with CSI scores. A significant correlation was observed between somatic symptoms and alexithymic features. Furthermore, the data showed that somatic symptoms mediated the relationship between difficulties in identifying feelings and functional impairment. Finally, it was showed that alexithymia facet of difficulty in identifying feelings contributed in large part to the prediction of the somatic symptomatology (b = 0.978, p < 0.001; R2 = 0.164, F(5, 350) = 10.32, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study provide evidence that a higher frequency of somatic symptoms is associated with functional disabilities and alexithymic facets in school-aged children.

Visual-spatial training efficacy in children affected by migraine without aura: a multicenter study

Routinely in the clinical practice, children affected by migraine without aura (MwA) tend to exhibit severe and persistent difficulties within cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and visual-motor integration (VMI) skills. The aim of this study was to assess the visual-spatial and visual-motor abilities among a sample of children with MwA and the effects of a specific computerized training. The study population was composed of 84 patients affected by MwA (39 girls and 45 boys; mean age: 8.91±2.46 years), and they were randomly divided into two groups (group A and group B) comparable for age (P=0.581), gender (P=0.826), socioeconomic status (SES), migraine frequency (P=0.415), and intensity (P=0.323). At baseline (T0), the two groups were comparable for movement assessment battery for children (M-ABC) and VMI performances. After 6 months of treatment (T1), group A showed lower scores in the dexterity item of M-ABC test (P<0.001) and higher scores in M-ABC global performance centile (P<0.001) and total (P<0.001), visual (P=0.017), and motor (P<0.001) tasks of VMI test than group B. Moreover, at T1, group A showed higher scores in total (P<0.001) and motor (P<0.001) tasks of VMI test and in M-ABC global performance centile (P<0.001) and lower scores in the dexterity item of M-ABC test (P<0.001) than at T0. Group B showed, at T1, performances comparable to T0 for all evaluations. As reported by recent studies about alteration MwA among children in motor abilities, our study confirmed these difficulties and the efficacy of a specific software training, suggesting a new rehabilitative proposal in childhood.

Role of the Attachment Style in Determining the Association Between Headache Features and Psychological Symptoms in Migraine Children and Adolescents. An Analytical Observational Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to study the role of attachment style on headache severity and psychological symptoms in migraineurs children/adolescents. Moreover, we investigated the association between attachment style, migraine severity, and psychological symptoms.

BACKGROUND

Attachment theory suggests that early interpersonal relationships may be important determinants of psychopathology and pain management. In particular, individuals with insecure attachment styles have been shown to experience more pain than people with secure attachment style. Few studies focused on headache and data on attachment style in pediatric headache are scarce.

METHODS

We studied 90 migraineurs (mean age 12.2 ± 2.6 years; female: 54, male: 36). Patients were divided in two groups according to headache attack frequency: (1) high frequency (HF) patients, having from weekly to daily episodes and (2) low frequency (LF) patients, showing ≤3 episodes per month. According to headache attack intensity, patients were classified in two groups: (1) mild pain (MP), allowing the patient to continue his/her daily activities and (2) severe pain (SP), leading to interruption of patient activities or forcing the child to go to bed. The psychological screening was assessed by SAFA Anxiety, Depression, and Somatization questionnaires. Attachment style was measured by the semi-projective test Separation Anxiety Test. Patients were divided into "secure," "avoidant," "ambivalent," and "disorganized/confused" attachment patterns.

RESULTS

We found a significant relationship between the attachment style and migraine features. The ambivalent attachment was the most common style among patients reporting high attack frequency (51%) and severe pain intensity (50%). Anxiety (SAFA-A Tot: F = 23.3, P < .001), depression (SAFA-D Tot: F = 11.8, P < .001), and somatization (SAFA-S Tot: F = 10.1, P < .001) were higher in patients with ambivalent attachment style. Moreover, our results showed an association between high attack frequency and high anxiety levels, in children with ambivalent attachment style (F = 6.7, P < .002).

CONCLUSIONS

Ambivalent attachment style may be a common vulnerability factor that impacts on pain severity, anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms in young migraineurs. In particular, the present study provides the first evidence of the role of insecure attachment on the relationship between pain severity and psychological symptoms in migraine children.

Migraine in childhood: biobehavioural or psychosomatic disorder?

It is well documented that headache is a multifactorial disorder which includes not only genetic, biological, medical and neuropsychological factor but also psychological and personality traits. The close relationship between stress and migraine attacks and the significant psychiatric comorbidities in migraine provide evidence of a “paradigm” of tight interaction between somatic and psychological aspects in paediatric migraine. In particular in younger children, an uncomfortable situation, a psychological problem or an emotional distress is rarely expressed directly but usually through physical symptoms. So migraine may be considered as a disorder of psychobiological adaptation in which genetic predisposition interplays with internal and/or external environmental influences such as psycho-emotional, climatic, hormonal, dietary or other factors.

Behavioral management of headache in children and adolescents

Headache is the most frequent neurological symptom and the most prevalent pain in children and adolescents, and constitutes a serious health problem that may lead to impairment in several areas. Psychosocial factors, social environment, life events, school and family stressors are all closely related to headaches. A multidisciplinary strategy is fundamental in addressing headache in children and adolescents. Applying such a strategy can lead to reductions in frequency and severity of the pain, improving significantly the quality of life of these children.

It has been demonstrated that behavioral intervention is highly effective, especially in the treatment of paediatric headache, and can enhance or replace pharmacotherapy, with the advantage of eliminating dangerous side effects and or reducing costs. Behavioral interventions appear to maximize long-term therapeutic benefits and improve compliance with pharmacological treatment, which has proven a significant problem with child and adolescent with headache.

The goal of this review is to examine the existing literature on behavioral therapies used to treat headache in children and adolescents, and so provide an up-to-date picture of what behavioral therapy is and what its effectiveness is.

Comparison of comorbidities of migraine and tension headache in a pediatric headache clinic

Objective To compare comorbidities between migraine and tension headache in patients treated in a tertiary pediatric headache clinic. Methods Files of patients with migraine or tension headache attending a pediatric headache clinic were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of organic comorbidities. Additionally, patients were screened with the self-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to identify nonorganic comorbidities. If necessary, patients were referred to a pediatric psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker for further evaluation. Results The study cohort comprised 401 patients: 200 with migraine and 201 with tension headache. The main organic comorbidities were atopic disease, asthma, and first-reported iron-deficiency anemia; all occurred with statistical significance more often with migraine than with tension headache (Familial Mediterranean fever was six times more frequent in the migraine group than in the tension headache group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Nonorganic comorbidities (psychiatric, social stressors) were associated significantly more often with tension headache than with migraine (48.3% versus 33%; p = 0.03). Conclusions Children and adolescents with migraine or tension headache treated in a dedicated clinic have high rates of organic and nonorganic comorbidities. In this setting, patients with migraine have significantly more organic comorbidities, and patients with tension headache, significantly more nonorganic comorbidities.

The Controversial Second Impact Syndrome: A Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Second impact syndrome is a devastating injury that primarily affects athletic children and young adults. It occurs when a second concussion occurs before symptoms from the first concussion have resolved. Diffuse and often catastrophic cerebral edema results. Reports of second impact syndrome are few, and some argue that second impact syndrome is simply diffuse cerebral swelling unrelated to the first concussion.

METHODS

Ovid and PubMed were searched from years 1946 to 2015 using the terms "second impact syndrome," "repeat concussion," and "catastrophic brain injury." In addition, review articles were found using a combination of the terms, "concussion," "second impact syndrome," and "repetitive head trauma."

RESULTS

Seventeen patients in seven publications met the criteria of having two witnessed hits and persistent symptoms from the first to the second concussion. Ten of the 17 (59%) included individuals were football players. All were male. Ages ranged from 13 to 23 years. All children with poor outcomes (death or permanent disability) were younger than 20 years, while four of the five players with good outcomes were older than 19 years. The lag time from first to second concussion ranged from one hour to four weeks, and in many cases, at least one of the two hits appeared minor.

CONCLUSIONS

American football, male gender, and young age appear to be associated with second impact syndrome. Controversies surrounding this syndrome are discussed. There is a need for prospective studies to clarify risk factors and outcomes of second impact syndrome to guide return-to-play recommendations for young athletes.

The burden of headache in people with epilepsy

PURPOSE

To investigate and classify headaches in adult people with epilepsy, to evaluate the burden of headaches, and to compare findings with a population-based epidemiological study.

METHODS

Two hundred eighty (61.4% women) people with epilepsy (mean age 37.8±14.5, mean duration of epilepsy 13.2±11.9years) completed a questionnaire collecting socio-demographic and clinical data, questions clarifying their type of a headache, a Qolie-10 questionnaire and a Headache-Attributed Lost Time (HALT) index. An experienced neurologist also interviewed them.

RESULTS

83.2% of respondents reported some type of headache. From those with inter-ictal headaches (77.9%), 39% reported tension-type headache, 31.7% reported migraine, and 7.8% reported medication-overuse headache and 16% reported possible persistent headache attributed to traumatic head injury. The impact of headache assessed through the HALT grading showed that 40.4% were grade 1, 9.6% grade 2, 14.7% grade 3 and 35.3% grade 4. Although, the prevalences of different headache types were similar to those in our population-based study, migraine seemed to be more common in males with epilepsy than in general population, and medication-overuse headache was more common in people with epilepsy than in the general population.

CONCLUSIONS

People with epilepsy experience headaches irrespective of their sex or age. The burden of headaches is very important in patients with epilepsy, since headaches usually cause a moderate or severe burden to their quality of life and suggest a clear clinical need. Clinicians should recognize headache as a common comorbidity of epilepsy, as it may influence antiepileptic drug choice, and may need specific treatment.

Patent foramen ovale and stroke in childhood: A systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Stroke in association with a patent foramen ovale (PFO) may be due to paradoxical embolization via a right to left intracardiac shunt but the exact contribution of PFO to stroke or stroke recurrence in childhood remains unclear.

METHODS

To review the relationship of a PFO with stroke, and evaluate associated co-morbidities. An electronic database literature search of Pubmed, Cochrane and EMBASE was performed from January 2000-December 2014.

RESULTS

149 articles were retrieved, with overlap for diagnosis, management, treatment and outcome. 65 reports were utilized for the comprehensive review. Majority of childhood arterial ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attacks are associated with prothrombotic disorders or arteriopathy. Transthoracic echocardiography with a Valsalva maneuver is highly sensitive as a screening tool but may be falsely positive. Transthoracic echocardiography with color Doppler and a concurrent bubble contrast study are excellent for visualizing the atrial septum and PFO and identifying a right to left shunt. Current literature does not support PFO closure for cryptogenic stroke in young adults without an associated risk of thromboembolism.

CONCLUSIONS

High quality research in the pediatric population is lacking and most of the data is extrapolated from adults. Paradoxical embolism from a PFO as a cause of transient ischemic attack or stroke is a diagnosis of exclusion. PFO closure should be individualized based on significant shunting and risk factors such that maximum benefit is derived from the procedure. A young person with a PFO and stroke should be thoroughly investigated to rule out other etiologies.

Sleep bruxism: challenges and restorative solutions

Bruxism is a parafunctional activity related to clenching or grinding the teeth and tooth wear can be a consequence of sleep bruxism (SB). Management of severe tooth wear due to SB is a challenging situation because of the common reduced amount of remaining dental structure and loss of vertical dimension of occlusion. Rationale for the planning of oral rehabilitation of patients with SB presenting severe tooth wear should rely on evidence-based approaches; however, few studies have discussed properties of dental materials for SB rehabilitation and how to cosmetically manage severe tooth wear. This review aimed to provide an overview into bruxism cosmetic rehabilitation and how this can be implemented with good outcomes for the patient.

Alexithymia and psychopathological symptoms in adolescent outpatients and mothers suffering from migraines: a case control study

BACKGROUND

Headache is a common disorder affecting a growing number of children and adolescents. In recent years, there has been an increase in scientific interest in exploring the relationship between migraine and emotional regulation, and in particular, the impact of emotional dysregulation on mental and physical health. The present study aims to explore the relationship between migraine and alexithymia among adolescents and their mothers as well as the impact of this association on mental health. An additional aim is to verify whether alexithymia may be a predictor of psychopathological symptoms in adolescents and mothers with migraines.

METHODS

A total of 212 subjects were involved in this study. The sample was divided into (a) Experimental Group (EG) consisting of 106 subjects (53 adolescents and 53 mothers) with a diagnosis of migraine according to International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) and (b) Control Group (CG) including 106 subjects (53 adolescents and 53 mothers) without a diagnosis of migraine. All participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale to assess alexithymia and the Symptom Checklist-90-R to assess psychopathological symptoms.

RESULTS

Higher rates of alexithymia were found in the adolescents and mothers of the EG in comparison to the adolescents and mothers of the CG. Furthermore, adolescents and mothers experiencing both migraine and alexithymia, demonstrated a higher risk of psychopathology.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study provide evidence that the co-occurrence of migraine and alexithymia increases the risk of psychopathology for both adolescents and their mothers.

Associations Between Sleep Quality and Migraine Frequency: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study

Migraine has been associated with sleep disturbances. Relationship between sleep quality and migraine frequency is yet to be determined. The present study aimed to investigate sleep disturbances among low-frequency, moderate-frequency, high-frequency, and chronic migraineurs, with and without auras, with well-controlled confounding variables.This cross-sectional controlled study included 357 subjects from an outpatient headache clinic in Taiwan. Standardized questionnaires were utilized to collect demographic, migraine, sleep, depression, anxiety, and restless leg syndrome characteristics in all participants. According to frequency of migraine attacks, patients were divided into 4 groups: with 1 to 4 migraine days per month, 5 to 8 migraine days in a month, 9 to 14 migraine days in a month, and >14 migraine days per month. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and subgroup items were used to evaluate sleep quality. The association between migraine frequency and sleep quality was investigated using multivariable linear regression and logistic regression.The PSQI total score was highest in patients with high frequent migraine (10.0 ± 3.4) and lowest in controls (7.0 ± 3.4) with a significant trend analysis (P for trend = 0.006). Migraine frequency had an independent effect on the items "Cannot get to sleep within 30 minutes" (P < 0.001), "Wake up in the middle of the night or early morning" (P < 0.001), "Bad dreams" (P = 0.001), "Pain" (P = 0.004), and "Quality of sleep" (P < 0.001). The result showed the effect of migraine frequency in both the aura-present (P for trend = 0.008) and the aura-absent subgroups (P for trend = 0.011).High migraine frequency correlates with poor sleep quality and a higher prevalence of poor sleepers. These associations occur in migraine with aura and without aura.

Medical Comorbidities in Pediatric Headache

Comorbid conditions frequently occur in pediatric headaches and may significantly affect their management. Comorbidities that have been associated with pediatric headaches include attention-deficit or hyperactivity disorder, autism, developmental disabilities, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, obesity, infantile colic, atopic disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. The goal of this article is to review these comorbidities associated with pediatric headache, thereby empowering child neurologists to identify common triggers and tailor management strategies that address headache and its comorbidities.

The Comorbidity of Migraine and Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents

Migraine and epilepsy share a number of clinical attributes, including pathophysiology and clinical expression. Both are paroxysmal in nature and thus constitute episodic disorders, yet either may be chronic and/or recurrent. Epileptic seizures and migraine headaches may be mistaken one for the other and may even overlap. In particular, occipital lobe seizures may be misdiagnosed as migraine auras. In this article, we review the relationship between migraine and epilepsy, including the known genetic contributions to both conditions, prodromal, ictal, and postictal headache and shared pathophysiology and treatment options. We describe clinical conditions in which both migraine and epilepsy are prominent features. Lastly, we discuss electronecephaographic abnormalities that have been known to occur in individuals with migraine.

Associated factors of headache in an unstudied cohort of elderly subjects

BACKGROUND

Headache and depression are prevalent among general population. The aim of this study was to determine the associated factors of headache in elderly subjects with emphasis to depression.

METHODS

All cohort of elderly individuals of the Amirkola Health Study Project were included. Data regarding several clinical and demographic characteristics were provided via fill in quesstionnaire, interview and clinical examination. Presence and duration as well as severity of headache were collected through an interview based on self-reported data. Diagnosis of depression was confirmed according to standard Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) criteria. In statistical analyses chi-square test with logistic regression analysis was used for association.

RESULTS

A total of 832 men and 667 women aged >/= 60 years old were studied. Headache and depression were diagnosed in 42% and 42.4% respectively. In depressed subjects, headache was significantly higher by OR=3.1(95% CI, 2.5-3.83, P=0.001). Proportions of headache increased by severity of depression with a dose-response pattern of relationship from 53.3% in mild depression to 72.6% in severe depression. The magnitude of OR for headache increased from 2.59 (95% CI, 2.03-3.31) in patients with mild depression to 6.04 (95% CI, 3.54-10.3) in patients with severe depression. After adjustment for all covariates, headache was significantly associated with female gender and back pain as well as with depression with a significant dose-response relationship.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study indicated an independent association between headache and psychological factors in elderly subjects, particularly in women.

Validation of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and GAD-2 in patients with migraine

Background

Psychiatric problems have been commonly reported in patients with migraine. This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2) in patients with migraine.

Methods

Subjects were recruited from a headache clinic and a neuropsychologist examined their GAD using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus Version 5.0.0 (MINI). Subjects completed several instruments, including the GAD-7, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS), the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), and the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQoL).

Results

Among 146 participants, 32 patients (21.9 %) had GAD as determined by the MINI. Cronbach’s α for the GAD-7 and GAD-2 were 0.915 and 0.820, respectively. At a cutoff score of 5, the GAD-7 had a sensitivity of 78.1 %, a specificity of 74.6 %, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 46.3 %, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 92.4 %. At a cutoff score of 1, the GAD-2 had a sensitivity of 84.4 %, a specificity of 72.8 %, a PPV of 46.6 %, and a NPV of 94.3 %. The scores of the GAD-7 and GAD-2 well correlated with the BAI score, the MIDAS score, the HIT-6 score, and the MSQoL score.

Conclusions

The GAD-7 and GAD-2 are both reliable and valid screening instruments for GAD in patients with migraine.

Transition from Pediatric to Adult Specialty Care for Adolescents and Young Adults with Refractory Epilepsy: A Quality Improvement Approach

Adolescents and young adults with refractory epilepsy are particularly vulnerable to serious medical and psychosocial challenges during transition from pediatric to adult care. Quality improvement methods were used to address the transition process on an academic medical campus. Outcomes achieved were decreased time from referral to first appointment in the adult clinic, H=8.2, p=0.004, r=0.43; and increased social work referrals using decision support, z=10.0, p=0.0006, OR=6.13. As measured by the 13-item Patient Activation Measure, pre-post change in patient activation as an outcome of self-management education was not statistically significant.

Association between childhood eczema and headaches: An analysis of 19 US population-based studies

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (or eczema) is a chronic inflammatory disorder associated with sleep disturbances and quality-of-life impairment. Sleep disturbances have been shown to cause headaches in childhood. However, an association between eczema and headaches is not well established.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine whether childhood eczema is associated with increased headaches and whether such association is related to fatigue or sleep disturbance.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 401,002 children and adolescents in 19 US population-based cross-sectional studies from the National Survey of Children's Health 2003/2004 and 2007/2008 and the National Health Interview Survey 1997-2013.

RESULTS

In multivariate models controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, highest level of education in the family, insurance coverage, number of persons in the household, birthplace in the United States, ever history of asthma, hay fever, and food allergy, eczema was found to be associated with headaches in 14 of 19 studies. In a pooled analysis of all 19 studies, children with eczema compared with those without eczema had a significantly higher prevalence (10.7% [95% CI, 10.3% to 11.0%] vs 5.4% [95% CI, 5.3% to 5.5%]) and odds (1.52 [95% CI, 1.45-1.59]) of headaches. Mild (1.79 [95% CI, 1.07-2.98]) and severe (2.72 [95% CI, 1.33-5.57]) eczema were associated with significantly higher odds of headaches. In particular, eczema associated with atopy, fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and only 0 to 3 nights of sufficient sleep had even higher odds of headache than eczema alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Eczema is associated with increased headaches in childhood, particularly in patients with severe disease accompanied by atopy, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.

Cross-sectional time trends in psychological and somatic health complaints among adolescents: a structural equation modelling analysis of 'Health Behaviour in School-aged Children' data from Switzerland

PURPOSE

This study examined cross-sectional time trends in health complaints among adolescents living in Switzerland, including differences between population subgroups and sources of differential response to items.

METHODS

Swiss data were analysed from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC; including 11-15 years old) from 1994 (n = 7008), 1998 (n = 8296), 2002 (n = 9066) and 2006 (n = 9255). Structural equation modelling was used to assess (1) the structure of the HBSC Symptom Checklist (HBSC-SCL; questionnaire, which asks about the frequency of eight health complaints) and (2) associations between the HBSC-SCL with year of data collection and demographic characteristics of the participants.

RESULTS

Two correlated factors fitted the data better than a single factor. The psychological factor included the items 'feeling low,' 'irritability and bad temper,' 'nervousness' and 'difficulties in getting to sleep,' and the somatic factor the items 'headache', 'backache', 'stomach ache' and 'dizziness'. Relative to 1994, lower levels of psychological health complaints were experienced in 1998, 2002 and 2006. However, the changes were only minor. In contrast, somatic health complaints increased monotonically over the years of the survey. Experiencing psychological and somatic health complaints was more pronounced with age among females relative to males and was associated with living in particular language regions of Switzerland.

CONCLUSIONS

Different cross-sectional time trends were identified for the psychological and somatic latent variables, indicating that both factors should be investigated when studying period effects.