Patients with chronic headache tend to have more psychological symptoms than those with sporadic episodes of pain / Pacientes com cefaleia crônica tendem a ter mais sintomas psicológicos que aqueles com episódios esporádicos de dor

There are controversial associations between headaches and psychological symptoms. Objective To design a profile of neuroticism, a term that groups variables related to negative personality traits, in patients with chronic daily headache (CDH) when compared to episodic migraine (EM) patients, applying the Factorial Scale of Emotional Adjustment/Neuroticism (NFS). Method One hundred adult patients with CDH and forty with EM answered the NFS. Results Comorbidities of subtypes of neuroticism (p=0.006) were more common in chronic daily headache patients, with three or more disorders (p=0.0002): dependent personality disorder (p=0.0001), anxiety, reduced concentration and production (p=0.0008), depression (p<0.0001), suicidal ideation (p=0.0008) and hopelessness even without depression (p<0.0001). Conclusion Patients with CDH tend to have dependent personality disorder, low production and concentration, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and hopelessness, superimposing two or more psychological disorders. These factors should be pondered for a better resolution in the treatment of CDH. .

Há associações controversas entre cefaleia e sintomas psicológicos. Objetivo Traçar um perfil de neuroticismo em portadores de cefaleia crônica diária (CCD) quando comparados aos portadores de migranea episódica (ME), utilizando-se a Escala Fatorial de Ajustamento Emocional/Neuroticismo (EFN). Método Cem pacientes adultos com CCD e quarenta com ME, responderam à EFN. Resultados Comorbidades de subtipos de neuroticismo (p=0,006) destacaram-se na CCD, ultrapassando três transtornos (p=0,0002): transtorno de personalidade dependente (p<0,0001), ansiedade, concentração e produção diminuídas (p=0,0008), depressão (p<0,0001), ideação suicida (p=0,0008) e desesperança (p<0,0001), mesmo sem depressão (p<0,0001). Conclusão Paciente com CCD apresentaram indícios de transtorno de personalidade dependente, baixa capacidade de concentração e produção, ansiedade, depressão, ideação suicida e desesperança, superpondo dois ou mais transtornos psicológicos. Esses fatores devem ser ponderados para maior resolutividade no tratamento da CCD. .

Evaluation of the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in children with headaches

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children with headaches in a neuropediatric ambulatory. METHOD: Fifty patients between 4 and 18 years of age were examined: 31 had headaches (24 migraine, 4 tension type and 3 unspecific headache) and 19 formed the control group. The data collection was comprised of a structured questionnaire answered by the children's parents, and a subjective evaluation about the childrenÆs emotional state. A specific questionnaire for TMD was applied, followed by a clinical dental examination of the children. As signs of TMD, mouth opening limitation, mandibular trajectory deviation in opening mouth, and joint noise were considered. As symptoms, pain on palpation of masseter and temporal muscles and on the poromandibular joint. RESULTS: A significant increase in signs and symptoms of TMD was found in patients with headaches when compared to the control group. There was also a significant difference in signs and symptoms of TMD according to age (increased with age) and emotional state (tense> calm). CONCLUSION: There is a higher frequency of TMD in pediatric patients with headaches; thus, it is important to look for TMD signs and symptoms in this population.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a presença de sinais e sintomas de disfunção temporomandibular (DTM) em crianças com cefaléias em um ambulatório de neuropediatria. MÉTODO: Foram examinados 50 pacientes com idade entre 4 e 18 anos, 31 com cefaléias (24 com enxaqueca, 4 com cefaléia tensional e 3 com cefaléia inespecífica) e 19 do grupo controle. Os dados compreenderam um questionário estruturado respondido pelos pais e uma avaliação subjetiva sobre o estado emocional das crianças. Foi aplicado um questionário específico para DTM e realizado um exame clínico dental. Foram considerados como sinais de DTM: limitação da abertura bucal, desvio da trajetória ao abrir a boca e ruído articular. Quanto aos sintomas, foram considerados: dor à palpação dos músculos masseter e temporal e na articulação temporomandibular. RESULTADOS: Foi encontrado um aumento significante de sinais e sintomas de DTM em pacientes com cefaléias quando comparados com o grupo controle. Houve, também, uma diferença significante de sinais e sintomas de DTM de acordo com a idade (aumento com a idade) e estado emocional (tenso>calmo). CONCLUSÃO: Há maior freqüência de sinais e sintomas de DTM no grupo de pacientes pediátricos com cefaléias, sendo importante avaliar essa patologia nessa população.

Chronic daily headache: medications overuse and psychiatric morbidity

The objectives of the study were: [i] To assess the frequency of different chronic daily headaches in patients using ICHD-2 criteria [ii] To find out the frequency and type of medication overuse and psychiatric morbidity in chronic daily headache subjects. Cross sectional observational study. The study was conducted in the psychiatry outpatient department of a teaching medical institution during January to September 2005. Subjects suffering from chronic daily headache were recruited from a specialized headache clinic in a tertiary care hospital's Psychiatry department. The diagnoses were made according to ICHD-2. Medication overuse was defined according to ICHD-2 criteria and psychiatric illness was diagnosed following ICD-10 criteria in CDH patients. In subjects fulfilling the criteria for 'medication overuse', the culprit drug was stopped immediately and prophylactic therapy was started. Frequency of chronic daily headache was 37% in this sample. Females outnumbered males [1:1.52] and formed higher number of migraine cases [p=0.02]. Tension Type Headache [TTH] was most frequent headache [48.5%]. According to ICHD-2 criteria, probable medication overuse headache could be diagnosed in all patients, which precluded the diagnosis of chronic migraine and chronic TTH. Psychiatric morbidity was seen in 70.3% subjects and mild to moderate depression was the most common illness [53%]. TTH subjects showed predisposition for anxiety disorders [OR= 6.41; p= 0.004]. TTH is the most common subtype of CDH when ICHD-2 is followed. Medication overuse is common in this group of patients and these probably should be discontinued according to substance dependence de-addiction model for better compliance, and even more slowly in subjects with chronic migraine headache. Psychiatric morbidity is prevalent in CDH patients and requires special attention

Terapia cognitivo-comportamental e cefaleias / Cognitive-behavioral therapy and headaches

A terapia cognitivo-comportamental tem se mostrado eficiente no tratamento da dor cronica. Especificamente nas cefaleias, e relevante a discussao critica dos fatores antecedentes e consequentes a uma crise de dor. Ela permite que o doente...