Prevalence of headache disorders in patients living with epilepsy in rural region in western part of India

Background and aims: Headache disorders cause significant distress in patients living with epilepsy (PWE) and are underreported. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of various forms of headache in PWE.Methodology: Two hundred and three PWE were evaluated for the presence and type of headache as per the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-3 classification criteria. The severity was graded using the Headache Under Response to Treatment (HURT)-3. A subgroup analysis of headache and epilepsy was done. The World Health Organization-5 (WHO-5) questionnaire was used to assess mental well-being. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) questionnaire was used to study the psychiatric comorbidities, which were classified according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV classification.Results: The prevalence of headaches in PWE was 45% [60% females]. Female gender and younger age were significantly associated with migraine (p values of 0.03 and 0.05, respectively). Migraine was the most common type of headache (71%), followed by tension-type headache (TTH) (23%) in PWE. The headache was inter-ictal in 80% of PWE. In PWE with migraine, both juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) had a 28% prevalence. In PWE with TTH, FLE was more common (43%). The prevalence of migralepsy in PWE was 4% [n = 4; 2 each of occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) and idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE)]. A psychiatric illness was more than two times more likely in PWE with headache (n = 34; 37%) as compared to PWE without headache (n = 19; 17%). Patients living with epilepsy with headaches and psychiatric comorbidities had significantly lower mental well-being (p = 0.001). Forty five percent of PWE with headaches required acute management, and 35% required prophylactic management for their headache. Conclusion: Headache is frequently ignored in PWE. It can affect their mental health and quality of life. Evaluation and management of headache in PWE is very important.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the prevalence and types of headaches in patients with epilepsy, and found that headaches have an impact on the mental health and quality of life of these patients.