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. 2009 Oct 20;11(1):45–51. doi: 10.1007/s10194-009-0165-8

Headache and cognitive profile in children: a cross-sectional controlled study

Pasquale Parisi 1,✉, Alberto Verrotti 2, Maria Chiara Paolino 1, Antonella Urbano 1, Mariangela Bernabucci 1, Rosa Castaldo 1, Maria Pia Villa 1
PMCID: PMC3452186  PMID: 19841863

Abstract

We investigated whether children affected by tension-type headache and migraine without aura, compared with a healthy control group that was matched by age, culturally and socioeconomically display a diverse intellectual functioning and have a separate “cognitive profile”. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2006 to November 2008 at “Sapienza University” in Rome. A total of 134 children were diagnosed as being affected by either migraine without aura (93) or tension-type headache (41). On the basis of our exclusion/inclusion criteria, we enrolled 82 of these 134 children, 63 of whom were affected by migraine without aura and 19 by tension-type headache. On entry, cognitive functions were assessed in both the affected subjects and the control group by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-revised. Significant differences were found between the headache and control groups in the mean total intelligence quotient and verbal intelligence quotient scores (p < 0.001). Significant negative correlations were found between the total intelligence quotient, verbal intelligence quotient, performance intelligence quotient and the frequency of attacks (r = −0.55 and p < 0.001, r = −0.61 and p < 0.001, r = −0.29 and p < 0.01, respectively), as well as between the total intelligence quotient score and the age at headache onset (r = 0.234, p < 0.05). Our results suggest that the cognitive profile of children affected by headache should be assessed at the first child neurology outpatient observation. From a therapeutic point of view, although within a normal range, the abilities most likely to be less brilliant in such children are verbal skills.

Keywords: Headache, Migraine, Cognitive profile, Intellectual performances, Psychometric tests

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Conflict of interest

None.

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