Cluster Headache and the Comprehension Paradox

Patients with primary headache disorders such as cluster headache cycle between being entirely healthy and almost completely incapacitated. Sick leave or reduced performance due to headache attacks demands flexibility by their social counterparts. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that headache patients cause frustration that grows with the times colleagues have to take over their work. In this study, we analysed cluster headache patients’ answers to an online questionnaire. Participants self-reported their number of sick days, the number of days on which leisure activities were missed and whether they felt understood by colleagues and family. We then investigated the correlation between the number of sick days and the proportion of patients feeling understood by colleagues and friends. We found that feeling understood by colleagues and friends decreases with a growing number of sick days. However, when sick days accrue further, this proportion increases again. The number of sick days correlates similarly with both colleagues’ and friends’ understanding. The number of cluster headache patients feeling understood by others decreases with an increasing number of sick days. Their social circles’ frustration with the patients’ failure to meet obligations and expectations are a likely reason. With a growing number of sick days, however, the portion of patients feeling understood rises again despite patients meeting others’ expectations even less. This ‘comprehension paradox’ implies the influence of other factors. We suspect that growing numbers of sick days foster understanding as the disability of the disease becomes increasingly apparent

The Loneliness of Migraine Scale: A Development and Validation Study

Patients with migraine often isolate themselves during their attacks. This disease-related loneliness seems to reverberate interictal, as some patients report failing relationships, losing jobs, or suffering from reduced social contacts. We developed a 10-item self-report questionnaire, the loneliness of migraine scale (LMS), and conducted an online survey. The questionnaire comprised diagnostic questions for migraine, the loneliness of migraine scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), and the Headache Attributed Lost Time Index (HALT-90). We computed item statistics, the psychometric properties of the LMS and assessed correlations between loneliness, migraine days, anxiety, and depression. We included 223 participants with (probable) migraine, reporting 8 ± 6 headache days with a disease duration of 11 ± 11 years. The mean scores of the HALT were 88 ± 52, of the GAD-7 10 ± 5, for PHQ-8 11 ± 6, and of the LMS 28.79 ± 9.72. Cronbach’s alpha for all ten items was 0.929. The loneliness scale correlated with the GAD-7 (r = 0.713, p < 0.001), with the PHQ-8 scale (r = 0.777, p < 0.001) and with migraine days (r = 0.338, p < 0.001). The LMS is a reliable and valid questionnaire measuring the loneliness of migraine patients. Feelings of loneliness were common and correlated highly with migraine days, anxiety, and depression

Interrater agreement in headache diagnoses

Background: Diagnosing headache disorders comprises the collection and interpretation of information. This study estimates agreement and bias in the latter. Methods: Physicians and medical students diagnosed eight patients’ headaches using the International Classification of Headache Disorders. We calculated Cohen’s Kappa for all participants and subgroups (board-certified neurologists, physicians working in a neurology department). Moreover, we asked how sure they felt about their diagnoses. Finally, participants estimated the number of different headache diagnoses a patient receives when consulting many physicians for the same headache and indicated the highest acceptable number. Results: The data of 63 participants entered the analysis, of whom 18 were neurologists (18/63, 28.6%), and 41 were currently working at a neurology clinic (41/63, 66.7%). Cohen’s Kappa decreased (0.706, 0.566, and 0.408) with increasing levels of the classification hierarchy. Interrater agreement was highest among neurologists. Physicians not working in a neurology clinic tended to diagnose secondary headaches more often were less confident about their diagnoses. Conclusions: Physicians with less experience in headache disorders struggle more to diagnose headaches than neurologists do; they suspect secondary headaches, disagree, and feel insecure more often. Thus, interpreting a headache history is prone to error and bias

Development and Evaluation of a Smartphone-Based Chatbot Coach to Facilitate a Balanced Lifestyle in Individuals With Headaches (BalanceUP App): Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Primary headaches, including migraine and tension-type headaches, are widespread and have a social, physical, mental, and economic impact. Among the key components of treatment are behavior interventions such as lifestyle modification. Scalable conversational agents (CAs) have the potential to deliver behavior interventions at a low threshold. To our knowledge, there is no evidence of behavioral interventions delivered by CAs for the treatment of headaches. Objective This study has 2 aims. The first aim was to develop and test a smartphone-based coaching intervention (BalanceUP) for people experiencing frequent headaches, delivered by a CA and designed to improve mental well-being using various behavior change techniques. The second aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of BalanceUP by comparing the intervention and waitlist control groups and assess the engagement and acceptance of participants using BalanceUP. Methods In an unblinded randomized controlled trial, adults with frequent headaches were recruited on the web and in collaboration with experts and allocated to either a CA intervention (BalanceUP) or a control condition. The effects of the treatment on changes in the primary outcome of the study, that is, mental well-being (as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale), and secondary outcomes (eg, psychosomatic symptoms, stress, headache-related self-efficacy, intention to change behavior, presenteeism and absenteeism, and pain coping) were analyzed using linear mixed models and Cohen d. Primary and secondary outcomes were self-assessed before and after the intervention, and acceptance was assessed after the intervention. Engagement was measured during the intervention using self-reports and usage data. Results A total of 198 participants (mean age 38.7, SD 12.14 y; n=172, 86.9% women) participated in the study (intervention group: n=110; waitlist control group: n=88). After the intervention, the intention-to-treat analysis revealed evidence for improved well-being (treatment: β estimate=–3.28, 95% CI –5.07 to –1.48) with moderate between-group effects (Cohen d=–0.66, 95% CI –0.99 to –0.33) in favor of the intervention group. We also found evidence of reduced somatic symptoms, perceived stress, and absenteeism and presenteeism, as well as improved headache management self-efficacy, application of behavior change techniques, and pain coping skills, with effects ranging from medium to large (Cohen d=0.43-1.05). Overall, 64.8% (118/182) of the participants used coaching as intended by engaging throughout the coaching and completing the outro. Conclusions BalanceUP was well accepted, and the results suggest that coaching delivered by a CA can be effective in reducing the burden of people who experience headaches by improving their well-being. Trial Registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00017422; https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=DRKS0001742

Screening for Cluster Headache—Introduction of the SMARTED Scale

Patients with cluster headache often report a long diagnostic delay. This study creates and validates a screening test that could help speed up the diagnostic process. We invited patients to enrol in this diagnostic case–control study if a trigeminal autonomic headache had been suspected or confirmed. Patients in whom the diagnosis of a cluster headache was not made were controls. First, all participants answered 22 diagnostic questions with “yes” or “no”. Next, we eliminated questions that did not distinguish well between the groups. Then, the variables entered a regression model with the headache diagnosis as the dependent variable. Finally, we combined the remaining variables into a diagnostic scale and tested its accuracy. Seventy-four patients participated, 45 of whom suffered from a cluster headache. The analyses identified five questions distinguishing cluster headache patients and controls. These addressed smoking, being awakened by the pain, restlessness during the attack, unilateral tearing, and duration of the attack (hence, the “SMARTED” scale). The area under the ROC curve was 0.938; sensitivity and specificity, the positive and negative predictive values were 98%, 65%, 81% and 94%, respectively. The SMARTED scale validly and accurately screens for cluster headache in patients suspected of a trigeminal autonomic headache

Investigating migraine phenotype and dynamics in women with endometriosis: an observational pilot study.

INTRODUCTION Migraine and endometriosis are chronic disabling pain conditions. There is evidence for a shared genetic background. Migraine phenotype and course in patients with the comorbidity are insufficient investigated. Both conditions can be treated with progestins. METHODS For this observational study we included women with migraine and endometriosis, visiting our clinic from 2015 to 2021. We collected available information from charts and complemented these data by a structured phone interview to collect more specific information on migraine and the course of both diseases. RESULTS From 344 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria, 94 suffered from both, endometriosis and migraine. Migraine with aura was reported by 41% of the patients and was associated with earlier onset of migraine (age < 17 years (OR 6.54) and with a history of medication overuse headache (OR 9.9, CI 1.6-59.4). Present monthly migraine frequency (1.5 ± 2.6) was significantly lower than five years before the interview (2.9 ± 4.64). There was a correlation between medication overuse headache and use of analgesics more than 3 days/months for dysmenorrhoea (p < 0.03). ASRM endometriosis score was not associated with migraine characteristics. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the comorbidity of endometriosis is highly linked to migraine with aura. Migraine onset in these patients was earlier. Further studies are needed to explore, if the observed decrease in migraine frequency can be attributed to recent endometriosis surgery and to understand if early diagnosis and treatment of both conditions may contribute to improve the course of both conditions. Trial registration BASEC Nr. 2021-00285

Potential Risk Factors for, and Clinical Implications of, Delirium during Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Matched Case-Control Study

To investigate the association between a wide set of baseline characteristics (age, sex, rehabilitation discipline), functional scores [Functional Independence Measure (FIM), cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS)], diseases, and administered drugs and incident delirium in rehabilitation inpatients and, furthermore, to assess clinical implications of developing delirium during rehabilitation.; Matched case-control study based on electronic health record data.; We studied rehabilitation stays of inpatients admitted between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018, to ZURZACH Care, Rehaklinik Bad Zurzach, an inpatient rehabilitation clinic in Switzerland.; We conducted unconditional logistic regression analyses to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% CIs of exposures that were recorded in ≥5 cases and controls.; Among a total of 10,503 rehabilitation stays, we identified 125 validated cases. Older age, undergoing neurologic rehabilitation, a low FIM, and a high CIRS were associated with an increased risk of incident delirium. Being diagnosed with a bacterial infection (AOR 2.62, 95% CI 1.06-6.49), a disorder of fluid, electrolyte, or acid-base balance (AOR 2.76, 95% CI 1.19-6.38), Parkinson's disease (AOR 5.68, 95% CI 2.54-12.68), and administration of antipsychotic drugs (AOR 8.06, 95% CI 4.26-15.22), antiparkinson drugs (AOR 2.86, 95% CI 1.42-5.77), drugs for constipation (AOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.25-3.58), heparins (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.29-3.24), or antidepressant drugs (AOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.14-3.10) during rehabilitation, or an increased anticholinergic burden (ACB ≥ 3) (AOR 2.59, 95% CI 1.41-4.73) were also associated with an increased risk of incident delirium.; We identified a set of factors associated with an increased risk of incident delirium during inpatient rehabilitation. Our findings contribute to detect patients at risk of delirium during inpatient rehabilitation

Opioide – Gefahren einer eindimensionalen Schmerztherapie

Die erfolgreiche Therapie von Schmerzpatienten stellt hohe Anforderungen an die Behandelnden. Immer komplexere Krankheitsbilder, therapeutischen Optionen und Angebote verleiten zu Simplizismen: der unkritischen gleichförmigen Antwort, nämlich der Gabe hochdosierter, kurzfristig wirksamer Opioide, auf komplexe schmerztherapeutische Fragestellungen. In den USA führte die übermässige Verschreibung dieser Medikamente, Hand in Hand mit wirtschaftlichen und strukturellen Gegebenheiten, zu einer Flut an Opioid-Abhängigen und gipfelte 2015 in der Opioid-Krise mit zahlreichen Todesfällen, so dass der nationale medizinische Notstand ausgerufen wurde. Auch in der Schweiz nehmen Opioid-Verschreibung und -Konsum signifikant zu. Droht uns hier ein ähnliches Szenario wie in den USA? Und welche Massnahmen können getroffen werden, dies zu verhindern? Die Antwort liegt in einer interdisziplinären, rationalen, multimodalen und indikationsgerechten Therapie, welche einem informierten und aktiven Patienten eine zufriedenstellende Lebensqualität ermöglicht

Detecting Incident Delirium within Routinely Collected Inpatient Rehabilitation Data: Validation of a Chart-Based Method

Delirium is a brain condition associated with poor outcomes in rehabilitation. It is therefore important to assess delirium incidence in rehabilitation.; To develop and validate a chart-based method to identify incident delirium episodes within the electronic database of a Swiss rehabilitation clinic, and to identify a study population of validated incident delirium episodes for further research purposes.; Retrospective validation study.; Routinely collected inpatient clinical data from ZURZACH Care.; All patients undergoing rehabilitation at ZURZACH Care, Rehaklinik Bad Zurzach between 2015 and 2018 were included.; Within the study population, we identified all rehabilitation stays for which ≥2 delirium-predictive key words (common terms used to describe delirious patients) were recorded in the medical charts. We excluded all prevalent delirium episodes and defined the remaining episodes to be potentially incident. At least two physicians independently confirmed or refuted each potential incident delirium episode by reviewing the patient charts. We calculated the positive predictive value (PPV) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for all potential incident delirium episodes and for specific subgroups.; Within 10,515 rehabilitation stays we identified 554 potential incident delirium episodes. Overall, 125 potential incident delirium episodes were confirmed by expert review. The PPV of the chart-based method varied from 0.23 (95% CI 0.19-0.26) overall to 0.69 (95% CI 0.56-0.79) in specific subgroups.; Our chart-based method was able to capture incident delirium episodes with low to moderate accuracy. By conducting an additional expert review of the medical charts, we identified a study population of validated incident delirium episodes. Our chart-based method contributes towards an automated detection of potential incident delirium episodes that, supplemented with expert review, efficiently yields a validated population of incident delirium episodes for research purposes

Migraine and Happiness

Objective: To investigate the association between happiness and migraine. Background: Contemporary operationalizations of happiness include the prevailing positive over negative affect and the satisfaction with life. Generally, extreme events and circumstances influence happiness only temporarily. However, how does periodic cycling between being relatively healthy and relatively disabled-as in migraineurs-affect happiness? Migraine is a primary headache disorder, in which headache attacks intermittently interfere with normal living and cause a significant personal, societal, and potentially irreversible disease burden. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, migraineurs completed the satisfaction with life scale (SWLS), the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale and reported their headache frequency as well as recent changes in that frequency. Furthermore, participants answered a free text question on how to remain happy despite migraine attacks. We built a regression model with the SWLS score as the dependent variable. Results: Seventy participants completed the questionnaire. The regression model revealed that happiness increases with headache days, and subsequent analysis showed a U-shaped relationship between headache frequency and happiness. The participants' advice on remaining happy focused on upvaluing the pain-free time or relieving the attacks themselves. The latter was increasingly common with longer disease durations. Conclusions: Both high and low headache frequencies facilitate adaptation to the disorder, while intermediate frequencies resulted in lower life satisfaction. The nonlinear relationship between happiness and headache days may be due to "hedonic habituation" and implies that headache calendars do not necessarily correctly reflect patients' difficulty to feel well despite the disorder. Many patients advised other migraineurs to increase happiness by enjoying pain-free time. However, with increasing disease duration, patients' recommendations focused on coping with attacks. Keywords: coping; happy; hedonic habituation; opponent-process theory; satisfaction; satisfaction with life scal