No abstract

SUMMARY In a survey conducted by a UK urban general practice, 98·1 per cent (1083) of the children registered aged three to 11 years took part in an interview. Possible migraine subjects took part in an extended interview, the results of which were recorded using three different sets of diagnostic criteria: Vahlquist, Ad Hoc and International Headache Society. The prevalence of migraine ranged from 3·7 to 4·9 per cent, depending on the criteria used. The prevalence of migraine with aura (1·5 per cent) was similar by all criteria, whereas that for migraine without aura ranged from 2·2 to 3·4 per cent. The prevalence of migraine increased with age. The IHS criteria appeared less sensitive than the Ad Hoc for migraine without aura. Operational criteria using three attacks lasting longer than one hour may be more specific for the diagnosis of migraine in young children. RÉSUMÉ Epidémiologie des maux de tête et migraine de l'enfance dans la pratique urbaine génerale, utilisant les critères Ad Hoc, Vahlquist et IHS Dans une étude de pratique générale au Royaume Uni, 98·1 pour cent (1083) des enfants recencés de trois à 11 ans prirent part aux entretiens. Les sujets exposés a la migraine bénéficièrent d'entretiens plus apprafondis dont les résultats furent enregistrés selon trois ensembles de critères diagnostiques: Valhlquist, Ad Hoc et l'International Society Headache. La prévalence de la migraine était comprise entré 3·7 et 4·9 pour cent. Selon les critères utilisés la prévalence de la migraine avec aura (1·5 pour cent) était identique pour tous les critères tandis que la prévalence de la migraine sans aura allait de 2·2 a 3·4 pour cent. La prévalence de la migraine augmentait avec l'âge. Les critères IHS sont apparus moins sensibles que les critères Ad Hoc pour la migraine sans aura. Les critères operationnels partant de trois attaques durant plus d'une heure peuvent être plus specifiques pour le diagnostic de migraine chez le jeune enfant. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Epidemiologie des Kopfschmerzes und der kindlichen Migräne in einer städtischen Allgemeinpraxis unter Verwendung der Ad Hoc, Vahlquist Und IHS Kriterien In einer Übersicht einer UK Allgemeinpraxis nahmen 98·1 Prozent (1083) der registrierten Patienten an einem Interview teil. Potentielle Migränepatienten wurden eingehender befragt und die Ergebnisse wurden nach drei verschiedenen diagnostischen Kriterien aufgezeichnet: Valquist, Ad Hoc und International, Headache Society. Die Häufigkeit der Migräne schwankte zwischen 3·7 und 4·9 Prozent, was von den benutzten Kriterien abhing. Die Häufigkeit der Migräne mit Aura (·5 Prozent) war bei alien Kriterien ähnlich, während die der Migräne ohne Aura zwischen 2·2 und 3·4 schwankte. Die Migränehäufigkeit nahm mit dem Alter zu. Die IHS Kriterien schienen für die Migräne ohne Aura weniger empfindlich zu sein als die von Ad Hoc. Bei jungen Kindern sind drei über eine Stunde dauernde Anfälle spezifischer für die Diagnose der Migräne. RESUMEN Epidemiologia de la cefalalgia y de la migraña infantil en la practica general urbana ut...

The lifetime prevalence of headache and migraine was assessed in an unselected sample of atopic (asthma, eczema or rhinitis) children in a general practice population of known socio-economic and age/sex composition. Maternal migraine was also recorded. The prevalence of both headache and migraine was significantly and proportionally higher in children with atopic disorders compared to those without. Childhood migraine was associated with atopy and the association was strongest with rhinitis. Rhinitis in children was associated with maternal migraine. A history of atopy (especially rhinitis) supports the diagnosis of migraine in young children with paroxysmal headaches.

This study initiated by a self-help migraine group investigated disability caused by visual environmental stimuli, e.g. glare, flicker, pattern and color. One thousand forty-four women with migraine completed the self-report questionnaire on visual environmental stimuli reported in earlier studies to precipitate or aggravate migraine. One hundred twenty-one female controls were obtained from general practice and hospital out-patients. The responses of the classical, common and non-migraine groups were compared. Women with classical migraine expressed greater disability than those with common migraine or controls both in respect of number of visual sensitivities reported (P < 0.0001) and severity of consequences of such stimuli (P < 0.0001). This study indicated differences between classical and common migraine outside of the attack phase apart from aura. Reported range of sensitivities for the migraineurs peaked between the ages of 46-60 years. A high level of unrealized disability caused by visual environmental stimuli was thus identified in hitherto unexplored self-help groups.

The incidence of the life time history of both maternal migraine and depression were assessed in children with headache, migraine, recurrent abdominal pain and abdominal migraine. An epidemiological survey of 1,104 children registered with a general practice was undertaken. The incidence of maternal migraine and depression agreed with previous estimates. Children with migraine had a greater proportion of mothers with a history of migraine than those who experienced headache alone compared with controls. The survey showed that mothers with depression predisposed their children to headache but not specifically migraine. A history of maternal depression and migraine was significantly more common and proportionately higher in children with abdominal migraine and recurrent abdominal pain.

20 children with clinically diagnosed migraine were asked to wear either a rose coloured tint or density matched blue tint for a period of 4 months. The frequency, duration and intensity of migraine attacks were recorded, together with the amount of visually provoked beta activity in the EEG. After one month's wear all the children in the study revealed an initial improvement in headache frequency. However, only those children wearing rose tints sustained this improvement up to 4 months, when the mean headache frequency had improved from 6.2 per month to 1.6 per month. The headache frequency of those children wearing blue tints revealed no overall improvement after 4 months. The improvements in headache frequency in children wearing rose tints correlated with a reduction in visually provoked beta activity.

SUMMARY The present study examined the epidemiology of abdominal migraine among 1104 children registered with a general practice. There was a similar prevalence of recurrent abdominal pain as in other studies (8.4 per cent). The prevalence of headache was higher among children with recurrent abdominal pain and significantly so among girls. Migrainous headache was not significantly more prevalent in children with recurrent abdominal pain. The prevalence of abdominal migraine with and without migrainous headache was 0.7 and 1–7 per cent, respectively. The peak prevalence of abdominal migraine without migrainous headache was between five and seven years for both seses. When associated with migrainous headache, i t peaked at five to seven years in girls and seven to nine years in boys. The syndrome was associated with travel sickness and was more common among girls and those with a maternal history of migraine. Many children were photo‐ and phonophobic during an atrack. RÉSUMÉ L’épidétniologie cliniqiie de la migraine abdominate de I’ enfance dons la praiique généralisre urbaine L'erude présentée établit I‘épidémiologie de la migraine abdominale parmi 1104 enfants observes en pratique généraliste. La prévalence des douleurs abdominales répétées était comparable à celle d'autres ètudes (8.4 pour cent). La prévalence des maux de tétéétait plus élévee parmi les enfants présentant des douleurs abdominales répétées et cela surtout chez les filles. La prévalence de maux de téte migraineux n'etait pas significativement plus élevee chez les enfants avec douleurs abdominales répétées. La prévalence de la migraine abdominale avec et sans maux de téte migraineux était respectivement de 0.7 et 1.7 pour cent. La pointe de prévalence de migraine abdominale sans maux de téte migraineux se situait entre cinq et sept ans pour les deus sexes. En cas d'association avec des maux de téte migraineux, la pointe se situait entre cinq et sept ans chez les filles, sept et neuf ans chez les garçons. Le syndrome était associé au mal des transporte et plus commun chez les filles et les enfants de meres migraineuses. Beaucoup d'enfant étaient photophobiques et phonophobiques au cours des crises. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG klinische Epidemiologie der kinderlichen abdominellen Migraine in einer Landarztpraxis Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte die Epidemiologie der abdominellen Migraine bei 104 Kindern in einer Allgemeinarztpraxis. Es fand sich eine vergleichbare Häufigkeit der rezidivierenden abdominellen Schmerzen wie in anderen Studien (8 ‐4 Prozent). Die Häfigkeit der Kopfschmerzen war bei Kindern mit rezidivierenden Bauchschmerzen höher und bei Mädchen sogar signifikant höher. Migraineartige Kopfschmerzen waren bei Kindern mit rezidivierenden Bauchschmerzen nicht signifikant häufiger. Die Häufigkeit der abdominellen Migraine mit und ohne Migraine ähnliche Kopfschmerzen betrug 0.7 bzw 1.7 Prozent. Der Häufigkeitsgipfel der abdominellen Migraine ohne Migraine ähnliche Kopfschmerzen fand sich bei beiden Geschlechtern zwischen fünf und sieben Jahren. In Verb...

Abdominal migraine is a common childhood migraine equivalent, for which diagnostic criteria have not been defined. As in other children with migraine equivalents this leads to difficulties in diagnosis and determination of prevalence. By recording the fast wave activity (beta rhythmn) in the visual evoked response (VER) to red and white flash, the pattern stimulation, 27 out of 28 children with clinically diagnosed abdominal migraine revealed significant differences compared with normal controls, outside the attack phase. Comparisons with children diagnosed as migraine with or without aura revealed, from the VER findings of higher amplitude fast wave activity and the presence of paroxysmal sharp wave activity, that abdominal migraine appears to be a specific form of childhood migraine. We found that both clinically and electrophysiologically, abdominal migraine changes with age; older children exhibiting a shorter duration of abdominal pain during attacks, and less evidence of sharp wave activity in the VER.