Harley B. Messinger

A Controlled Study of Visual Symptoms and Eye Strain Factors in Chronic Headache

SYNOPSIS

Headache and family history

In two headache questionnaire surveys we inquired about the occurrence of headache in the mothers, fathers, siblings and children of the respondents. In total, 633 people completed valid questionnaires, 260 in the first survey and 373 in the second. The hypothesis was that familial headache occurrence would be positively associated with headache frequency. In each survey, the regression of headache frequency on the number of parents having headache was highly significant. Neither sex nor the sibling and children variables were significant predictors. In the cross-tabulations of the parental occurrence of headache with headache frequency we saw a dear “break-point” between the “no headache” and the headache frequency categories studied. For the final analyses the dichotomy “headache/no headache” was related in fourfold tables to headache occurrence in the father and the mother separately, and to the number of headache parents. The positive associations were not simply due to the large number of migraine cases since they remained after removing the migraineurs.

Migraine and left-handedness: Is there a connection?

In 1982, Geschwind and Behan reported an association between migraine headache and left-handedness. The present study was an attempt to test this hypothesis by comparing the frequency of left-handedness in migraine and tension headache patients at a headache center. Cluster headache cases were also included because Geschwind and Behan suspected that the association might be even stronger in this disorder. A special scoring method for handedness was devised by Geschwind and Behan to help identify a possible higher risk in mixed-handedness subjects. No significant associations emerged in any of these tests. A modest association of cluster headache and left-handedness disappeared when adjustment was made for the strong predilection of cluster headache for the male sex.

A questionnaire survey of muscular symptoms in chronic headache. An age- and sex-controlled study.

In a questionnaire survey we determined the prevalence and intensity of muscular symptoms in a group of chronic headache sufferers as compared with age- and sex-matched controls. The muscular symptoms studied were tightness and soreness of the neck, shoulder, and jaw muscles. Muscle tightness was reported significantly more frequently in the headache than in the control group, but only for the neck muscles (48.6 vs. 29.9%; p less than 0.01). When headache was present, the prevalence of neck muscle tightness in the headache group significantly increased further to 68.8% (p less than 0.001) and that of jaw muscle tightness increased significantly from 17.2 to 29.7% (p less than 0.01). The intensity of muscle tightness was again only significantly different between the headache and the control groups for the neck muscles (p less than 0.01). However, it was significantly higher for all three muscle groups in the headache group when headache was actually present than when headache was absent (p less than 0.001). With regard to the prevalence of muscle soreness, there were no significant differences between the headache and the control groups or within the headache group when headache was absent or present. However, the intensity of muscle soreness was significantly greater for all three muscle groups in the headache group when headache was present than when headache was absent (p less than 0.001). The results indicate significant muscular symptoms in relation to headache, particularly in relation to the neck muscles, with tightness standing out more than soreness.

Reading Problems In Adult Chronic Headache Sufferers

SYNOPSIS

Migraine Treatment in a Headache Clinic: Use of Computerized Patient Register

Burleson [1] and Helling et al. [2] have reviewed the use of computers to study clinical drug use. The usual emphasis in this kind of study is on evaluating drug usage for appropriateness, suitability of dosage, and the like. Closer to the objectives of the present investigation was a comparison of drugs prescribed for diabetics with those given nondiabetics [3].