Headaches in children may be due to primary or secondary etiologies. Common primary headache types include migraine or tension-type headache. Secondary headache causes are broad and include infections, trauma, vascular disorders, substance use/withdrawal, and psychiatric conditions. Current American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guidelines recommend against routine lab studies, lumbar puncture, electro-encephalogram (EEG), or neuroimaging in patients with no headache red flags by history and a normal neurologic examination.
Objective Headache disorders are exceedingly common in children and adolescents. The association between headaches, emotional stress, and disruptions in daily routines are well established. The goal of this study is to compare the experiences of patients with a preexisting diagnosis of a primary headache disorder in terms of headache frequency and severity, lifestyle techniques for headache prevention, screen use, and mood from before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Patients evaluated by the Headache Clinic at Children’s National Hospital between Summer 2020 and Winter 2021 were enrolled in a patient registry. Patients completed a questionnaire examining changes in headache characteristics and lifestyle factors since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results A total of 107 patients completed the survey. Since the pandemic’s onset, patients reported decreased physical activity (n = 59, 55%), increased frequency of chronic headaches from 40% (N = 42) to 50% (N = 54), and increased constant daily headaches from 22% (n = 24) to 36% (n = 38). Patients reported worsened anxiety (n = 58, 54%), mood (n = 50, 47%), and workload (n = 49, 46%). Sixty-one percent (n = 65) of patients reported using screens for school for more than 6 hours per day. The majority (n = 67, 63%) of patients indicated that they would prefer attending in-person school, with 14% (n = 15) responding that they preferred online school. Conclusion Since the COVID-19 pandemic’s onset, pediatric headache patients have experienced increasing headache frequency, worsening anxiety and mood, decreased physical activity, and increased screen usage. Although this study is limited by sample size and observational design, future population-based studies will further elucidate the impact of this pandemic on pediatric headache.
Background and Objectives Prolonged screen exposure is often cited as a trigger for pediatric headache. We present initial findings evaluating the association between adolescent screen use type, duration, and school disability. Methods New patients aged 12–17 years presenting to a headache clinic were screened and surveyed regarding headache characteristics, behavioral habits, school attendance, and screen utilization. Results 99 adolescents (29 M, 70 F) with average age 14.8 years and average headache frequency of 17 days per month completed the survey. Patients missed an average of five full days and three partial days of school due to headaches over the 90 days prior to survey completion. No statistically significant correlation was found between type or duration of screen exposure and monthly headache frequency, school attendance, or school functioning. A small positive association was seen between increasing duration of computer use, total hours screen use, and school absenteeism. While most adolescents reported prolonged screen use (58.6%) and luminosity (64.6%) worsened headaches, no statistical difference was seen in average number of headache days per month. Conclusions Average monthly headache frequency in an adolescent population was not significantly correlated with type or duration of screen exposure. Further studies are needed to elucidate how screen utilization impacts school related headache disability.
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