Comparisons of Life Quality between Chronic and Episodic Migraine Patients

BACKGROUND: In this study, the quality of life of patients with chronic and episodic migraine was compared using quality of life assessments tools, which included the MIDAS (migraine disability assessment) questionnaire and MSQoL (migraine-specific quality of life) questionnaire. METHODS: The investigation occurred from November 2005 to April 2006 for patients who visited the neurology department of hospital in because of headache. The patients for the question investigation consisted of 34 patients with chronic migraine (CM) and 48 patients with episodic migraine (EM). The diagnosis of migraines was obtained by the migraine criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS). RESULTS: In the comparisons of the MIDAS score in patients with CM and EM, the second question (reduced effectiveness at work/school), the fourth question (reduced effectiveness in housework), total scores (28+/-19.7 versus 12.0+/-10.1, p<.01), and the question A were higher in CM patients (51.2+/-20.1 versus 15.5+/-13.1, p<.01). MIDAS grade of CM patients were also higher than EM patients. In MSQoL score comparisons of CM and EM patients, three parts of life qualities, which are role-function restrictive, role-function preventive, and emotional function due to headache, and total score (61.9+/-11.7 versus 73.7+/-13.9, p<.01) was less in CM patients than EM patients. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that life qualities of the patients with CM were significantly lower than of the patients with EM.

The Reliability and Validity of The Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire for Korean Migraine Suffers

BACKGROUND: Recurrent, often unpredictable, migraine attacks significantly interfere with daily functioning and productivity of patients with migraine. Quality of life measurement represents an important tool for evaluating migraine therapy and judging the impact of headache either on individuals or on society. The objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the translated version of MSQoL (Migraine-Specific Quality of Life) in Korean migraine patients. METHODS: Participants, migraineurs from the Samsung Medical Center Migraine Clinic, were screened using the International Headache Society migraine criteria prior to enrollment through direct interview. This survey included the MSQoL, MIDAS (Migraine Disability assessment) and STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). RESULTS: Sixty-five migraineurs were recruited. For the MSQoL, Cronbach's alpha was 0.93. Frequency and number of accompanying symptoms were predictive of the MSQoL. The negative correlation between the MSQoL scores and the MIDAS score was seen (r=-0.585, p<0.01). Similarly a negative correlation between the MSQoL scores and duration of headache was also observed (r=-0.38, p<0.01). Although a significant negative correlation between the MSQoL and STAI scores was present (r=-0.47, p<0.01), correlation between the MIDAS and the STAI scores was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The MSQoL is a reliable and valuable migraine-specific quantitative tool to assess the degree of quality of life in Korean migraineurs. It has a potential to provide valuable information on migraineur's disability and anxiety level. The MSQoL has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to estimate long-term outcome of migraine therapy in Korean population.