Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of headache variables, such as frequency, intensity, duration of attack episode and demographics on functional disability in chronic tension-type headache patients. Background: Chronic tension-type headache does not reduce life expectancy, but it can have considerable impact on functional disability and socioeconomic status. R eduction of headache related disability is one of the m ain treatm ent goals in the m anagement of headaches. Therefore, it is essential to understand w hich headache characteristics contribute to headache related disability.
Methods
D ata from patients w ith chronic tension-type headache (n = 109) were used to evaluate the relationship between headache variables (frequency, pain intensity, duration of attack), headache related demographics (age, duration of headache illness, analgesics consumption) and headache related functional disability. The patients w ere divided into different groups based on each variable. Headache related functional disability was assessed as scores on the activity interference scale of three aspects of daily living and m issing days due to headache.
Results
In this study, higher average pain intensity w as significantly associated w ith m ore severe headache related disability. A lthough there was a tendency for patients w ith the higher frequency, longer duration attack of headache to show severe disability, these w ere not statistically significant. M ultiple regression analysis revealed that average pain intensity is only significant predictor of headache related disability.
Conclusions
For chronic tension-type headache, headache intensity appears to be a major determinant of headache related disability, while headache frequency w as not clearly related to disability. A ccording to our findings, effective symptomatic medication that can stop headache before it reaches high intensity would have great potential to reduce headache related disability and headache attacks w ith severe intensity should not be underestimated even if they are infrequent. Korean Journal of Headache 7(1):31-30, 2006