Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Epidemiological classification and social impact of chronic headache

  • Symposium: Chronicisation of Headaches. Natural Evolution, Drugs Dependence and Rehabilitation
  • Published:
Internal and Emergency Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The current prevalent opinion is that a diagnosis of chronic headache should be established in patients who have had a form of primary headache other than cluster headache on at least 15 days a month for at least 3 months. Chronic headache so defined includes four different subtypes: hemicrania continua and new daily persistent headache—two rare forms currently included in the group “Other primary headaches” of the 2004 International Classification of Headache Disorders, second edition (ICHD-II)—chronic tension-type headache, and chronic migraine. Regarding the latter, which has been better known lately as transformed migraine, the current revised diagnostic criteria establish that migraine must be present on at least 8 of the at least 15 days of headache per month and that there must not be any overuse of symptomatic medication. Chronic headache affects about 3–5% of the general population and results in a variety of negative repercussions both on individuals and on society at large.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Quattrone A, Bono F, Olivieri RL, Gambardella A, Pirritano D, Labate A, Lucidano A, Valentino P, Zappia M, Aguglia U, Lavano A, Fera F, Pardatscher K (2001) Cerebral venous thrombosis and isolated intracranial hypertension without papilledema in CDH. Neurology 57:31–36

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society (2004) The international classification of headache disorders—2nd edition. Cephalalgia 24(Suppl 1):1–160

    Google Scholar 

  3. Nappi G, Savoldi F (1985) Headache. Diagnostic system and taxonomic criteria. John Libbey Eurotext, London

    Google Scholar 

  4. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (1988) Classification and diagnostic criteria for headache disorders, cranial neuralgias and facial pain. Cephalalgia 8(Suppl 7):1–96

    Google Scholar 

  5. Silberstein SD, Lipton RB, Sliwinski M (1996) Classification of daily and near-daily headaches: field trial of revised IHS criteria. Neurology 47:871–875

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Boes CJ, Capobianco DJ (2005) Chronic migraine and medication-overuse headache through the ages. Cephalalgia 25:378–390

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Mathew NT, Stubits E, Nigam M (1982) Transformation of episodic migraine into daily headache: analysis of factors. Headache 22:66–68

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mathew NT, Reuveni U, Perez F (1987) Transformed or evolutive migraine. Headache 27:102–106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Mathew NT (1993) Transformed migraine. Cephalalgia 13(Suppl 12):78–83

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Manzoni GC, Granella F, Sandrini G, Cavallini A, Zanferrari C, Nappi G (1995) Classification of chronic daily headache by International Headache Society: limits and new proposals. Cephalalgia 15:37–43

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Vanast WJ (1986) New daily persistent headaches: definition of a benign syndrome. Headache 26:317

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bigal ME, Tepper SJ, Sheftell FD, Rapoport AM, Lipton RB (2004) Chronic daily headache: correlation between the 2004 and the 1988 International Headache Society diagnostic criteria. Headache 44:684–691

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Olesen J, Bousser MG, Diener HC, Dodick D, First M, Goadsby PJ, Goebel H, Lainez MJA, Lance JW, Lipton RB, Nappi G, Sakai F, Schoenen J, Silberstein SD, Steiner TJ (2006) New appendix criteria open for a broader concept of chronic migraine. Cephalalgia 26:742–746

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Manack A, Turkel C, Silberstein S (2009) The evolution of chronic migraine: classification and nomenclature. Headache 49:1206–1213

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Scher AI, Stewart WF, Liberman J, Lipton RB (1998) Prevalence of frequent headache in a population sample. Headache 38:497–506

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Castello J, Munoz P, Guitera V, Pascual J (1999) Epidemiology of chronic daily headache n the general population. Headache 39:190–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Lanteri-Minet M, Auray JP, Hasnoui AE, Dartigues JF, Duru G, Henry P, Lucas C, Pradalier A, Chazot G, Gaudin AF (2003) Prevalence and description of chronic daily headache in the general population in France. Pain 102:143–149

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Wiendels NJ, Knuistingh Neven A, Rosendaal FR, Spinhoven P, Zitman FG, Assendelft WJJ, Ferrari MD (2006) Chronic frequent headache in the general population: prevalence and associated factors. Cephalalgia 26:1434–1442

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Radat F, Creac’h C, Swendsen JD, Lafittau M, Irachabal S, Dousset V, Henry P (2005) Psychiatric comorbidity in the evolution from migraine to medication overuse headache. Cephalalgia 25:519–522

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Saper JR, Hamel RL, Lake AE III (2005) Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a biobehavioural disorder. Cephalalgia 25:545–546

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Lipton RB, Bigal ME (2003) Chronic daily headache. Is analgesic overuse a cause or a consequence? Neurology 61:154–155

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sun-Edelstein C, Bigal ME, Rapoport AM (2009) Chronic migraine and medication overuse headache: clarifying the current International Headache Society classification criteria. Cephalalgia 29:445–452

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Leonardi M, Steiner T, Scher AT, Lipton RB (2005) The global burden of migraine: measuring disability in headache disorders with WHO’s classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). J Headache Pain 6:429–440

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Duru G, Auray JP, Gaudin AF, Dartigues JF, Henry P, Lantéri-Minet M, Lucas C, Pradalier A, Chazot G, El Hasnaoui A (2004) Impact of headache on quality of life in a general population survey in France (GRIM2000 Study). Headache 44:571–580

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Guitera V, Munoz P, Castillo J, Pascual J (2002) Quality of life in chronic daily headache: a study in a general population. Neurology 58:1062–1065

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Monzon MJ, Lainez MJ (1998) Quality of life in migraine and chronic daily headache patients. Cephalalgia 18:638–643

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Meletiche DM, Lofland JH, Young WB (2001) Quality-of-life differences between patients with episodic and transformed migraine. Headache 41:573–578

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gian Camillo Manzoni.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Manzoni, G.C., Torelli, P. Epidemiological classification and social impact of chronic headache. Intern Emerg Med 5 (Suppl 1), 1–5 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-010-0444-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-010-0444-z

Keywords

Navigation