Short-term outcomes of tension type and migraine headache in children

Abstract

Objective: To study the short-term outcome and the factors associated with the outcome in childhood tension type and migraine headache patients.

Material and method: Children aged 16 years or less with first diagnosed of either migraine or tension-type headache were reassured the cause of headache and treated by avoiding triggering factors, taking intermittent analgesics or a daily preventive medication such as propanolol 10 mg two times a day or amitriptyline 10 mg at night for patients who were suffered from the frequent headache attacks whether had to stop activity or go to sleep. They were followed up at 2 weeks and 2 months to confirm the diagnosis and the response to the treatment. The short-term outcomes and the possible factors associated with the outcomes were analysed.

Results: Pre-treatment 81% of migraine patients and 43.5% of tension-type patients were significant frequently suffered from headache attacks. Post-treatment revealed that it reduced to 4% in migraine patients and 16% tension-type patients. Gender; age at onset, severity before treatment, precipitating factors; hot weather sleep deprivation, learning stress, familial stress, night awakening, familial history of headache were not statistically significant in short-term outcomes.

Conclusion: Treatment childhood tension-type and migraine headache by reassurance, avoid the probably precipitating factors, intermittent analgesics and usage of amitriptyline or propanolol had good efficacy in reducing the severity of attack. The authors cannot identify the associated factor with the outcome of treatment.