Background
In “Kronhodestudien” (KS) published in 2007-2009 we followed a cohort of 80 patients with chronic daily headache one year after withdrawal therapy and found that headache improved by > 50% in a third, and a third did not improve [1].
Aim
To examine whether adverse childhood events is associated with chronic headache and prognosis after withdrawal therapy.
Method
All 80 patients from the KS study were invited to a follow-up in 2013. Headache was registered, and a questionnaire concerning Adverse Childhood Events (ACE) was delivered to KS patients and controls without headache or other chronic pain. The study was performed anonymously and approved by the ethical committee.
Results
Sixty-six KS patients (73% women) and 69 controls (70% women) were included. Total ACE score was higher in patients [1.6 (1.1-2.1)] than in controls [0.9 (0.5-1.3)], p=0.02. Reporting sexual violation was more common in patients without improvement of headache [9/24 (38%)] than in controls [7/69 (10%)], p <0.01. An ACE score > 4 was more common in patients who did not improve [7/24 (29%)] than in patients who had improved more that 50% [1/21(5%), p 0.05], and more common than in controls [8/69(12%), p=0.04].
Conclusion
Adverse childhood experience seems to be more common in patients with chronic headache than in controls, and most common in patients with a poor response to withdrawal therapy.
No conflict of interest.
References
- Bøe MG, Salvesen R, Mygland A. Chronic daily headache with medication overuse: predictors of outcome 1 year after withdrawal therapy. Eur J Neurol. 2009;16(6):705–12. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2009.02571.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]