Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Sensory function in headache: a comparative study among patients with cluster headache, migraine, tension-type headache, and asymptomatic subjects

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Neurological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aims

Studies evaluating sensory function of the entire trigeminocervical region in patients with cluster headache (CH), migraine (MH), and tension-type headache (TH) are required. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate and compare sensory function in the trigeminocervical region in patients with CH, MH, and TH and healthy controls (HC).

Methods

Quantitative sensory testing (QST), including pressure pain threshold (PPT), tactile detection threshold (TDT), prick detection threshold (PDT), and two-point detection threshold (2PDT), was evaluated in 139 patients with headache (CH = 16, MH = 52, TH = 71) and 30 HC. Test sites included bilaterally the first, second, and third divisions of trigeminal nerve (V1, V2, and V3), cervical spine, and thenar eminence.

Results

TH presented significantly lower PPT values compared with CH (p < 0.015), MH (p < 0.048), and HC (p < 0.009), while MH demonstrated significantly lower values than HC (p = 0.001–0.023). When analyzing TDT, CH in the symptomatic side presented significantly higher values in V1 compared with MH (p = 0.001), TH (p < 0.001), and HC (p < 0.001) and in V2 compared with TH (p = 0.035). No statistically significant differences were found for PDT (p > 0.005). With regard to 2PDT, CH-s presented significantly higher values in V1 with respect to HC (p = 0.016) but lower values in V2 compared with MH (p < 0.001) and TH (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

The results of the present study indicate specific and different altered mechanical sensory thresholds in CH, MH, and TH patients compared with HC subjects.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and materials

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on a reasonable request.

References

  1. D'Amico D, Grazzi L, Usai S, Leonardi M (2013) Disability and quality of life in headache: where we are now and where we are heading. Neurol Sci 34(Suppl 1):S1–S5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Abu Bakar N, Tanprawate S, Lambru G, Torkamani M, Jahanshahi M, Matharu M (2016) Quality of life in primary headache disorders: a review. Cephalalgia 36(1):67–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Linde M, Gustavsson A, Stovner LJ, Steiner TJ, Barré J, Katsarava Z, Lainez JM, Lampl C, Lantéri-Minet M, Rastenyte D, Ruiz de la Torre E, Tassorelli C, Andrée C (2012) The cost of headache disorders in Europe: the Eurolight project. Eur J Neurol 19(5):703–711

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Reddy SM, Vergo MT, Paice JA, Kwon N, Helenowski IB, Benson AL et al (2016) Quantitative sensory testing at baseline and during cycle 1 oxaliplatin infusion detects subclinical peripheral neuropathy and predicts clinically overt chronic neuropathy in gastrointestinal malignancies. Clin Colorectal Cancer 15(1):37–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kitaj MB, Klink M (2005) Pain thresholds in daily transformed migraine versus episodic migraine headache patients. Headache 45(8):992–998

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Schytz HW, Olesen J (2016) Laboratory tests of headache disorders - dawn of a new era? Cephalalgia 36(13):1268–1290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Pfau DB, Geber C, Birklein F, Treede RD (2012) Quantitative sensory testing of neuropathic pain patients: potential mechanistic and therapeutic implications. Curr Pain Headache Rep 16(3):199–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Chua NH, Vissers KC, Wilder-Smith OH (2011) Quantitative sensory testing may predict response to sphenopalatine ganglion pulsed radiofrequency treatment in cluster headaches: a case series. Pain Pract 11(5):439–445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Burstein R, Yarnitsky D, Goor-Aryeh I, Ransil BJ, Bajwa ZH (2000) An association between migraine and cutaneous allodynia. Ann Neurol 47:614–624

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Fernández-de-las-Peñas C, Madeleine P, Caminero AB, Cuadrado ML, Arendt-Nielsen L, Pareja JA (2010) Generalized neck-shoulder hyperalgesia in chronic tension-type headache and unilateral migraine assessed by pressure pain sensitivity topographical maps of the trapezius muscle. Cephalalgia 30(1):77–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Ladda J, Straube A, Förderreuther S, Krause P, Eggert T (2006) Quantitative sensory testing in cluster headache: increased sensory thresholds. Cephalalgia 26:1043–1050

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Komiyama O, De Laat A (2005) Tactile and pain thresholds in the intra- and extra-oral regions of symptom-free subjects. Pain 115:308–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Komiyama O, Obara R, Iida T, Wang K, Svensson P, Arendt-Nielsen L, de Laat A, Kawara M (2012) Influence of age and gender on trigeminal sensory function and magnetically evoked masseteric exteroceptive suppression reflex. Arch Oral Biol 57:995–1002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Rolke R, Magerl W, Campbell KA, Schalber C, Caspari S, Birklein F, Treede RD (2006) Quantitative sensory testing: a comprehensive protocol for clinical trials. Eur J Pain 10:77–88

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Vriens JPM, van der Glas HW (2009) Extension of normal values on sensory function for facial areas using clinical tests on touch and two-point discrimination. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 38:1154–1158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Vriens JPM, van der Glas HW (2002) The relationship of facial two-point discrimination to applied force under clinical test conditions. Plast Reconstr Surg 109:943–952

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Mukaka MM (2012) Statistics corner: a guide to appropriate use of correlation coefficient in medical research. Malawi Med J 24(3):69–71

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Vetvik KG, MacGregor EA (2017) Sex differences in the epidemiology, clinical features and pathophysiology of migraine. Lancet Neurol 16:76–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Dong Z, Di H, Dai W, Pan M, Li Z, Lian J et al (2014) Clinical profile of cluster headaches in China - a clinic-based study. J Headache Pain 14:27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. D’Andrea G, Gucciardi A, Perini F, Leon A (2019) The role of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in the pathogenesis of cluster headache: a review. Neurol Sci 40:39–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Edwards RR, Sarlani E, Wesselmann U, Fillingim RB (2005) Quantitative assessment of experimental pain perception: multiple domains of clinical relevance. Pain 114:315–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Ellrich J, Ristic D, Yekta SS (2006) Impaired thermal perception in cluster headache. J Neurol 253(10):1292–1299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Coppola G, Di Lorenzo C, Bracaglia M, Di Lenola D, Parisi V, Perrotta A et al (2014) Lateralized nociceptive blink reflex habituation deficit in episodic cluster headache: correlations with clinical features. Cephalalgia 35(7):600–607

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Rozen TD, Haynes GV, Saper JR, Sheftell FD (2005) Abrupt onset and termination of cutaneous allodynia (central sensitization) during attacks of SUNCT. Headache 45:153–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Rozen TD, Fishman RS (2012) Cluster headache in the United States of America: demographics, clinical characteristics, triggers, suicidality, and personal burden. Headache 52:99–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Taga A, Russo M (2019) Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias: spectrum or continuum? Insights from a family. Neurol Sci 40:195–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. May A, Leone M, Boecker H, Sprenger T, Juergens T, Bussone G, Tolle TR (2006) Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation in positron emission tomography. J Neurosci 26:3589–3593

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Rapoport AM, Edvinsson L (2019) Some aspects on the pathophysiology of migraine and a review of device therapies for migraine and cluster headache. Neurol Sci 40:75–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Malick A, Strassman AM, Burstein R (2000) Trigeminohypothalamic and reticulohypothalamic tract neurons in the upper cervical spinal cord and caudal medulla of the rat. J Neurophysiol 84:2078–2112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Olesen J, Burstein R, Ashina M, Tfelt-Hansen P (2009) Origin of pain in migraine: evidence for peripheral sensitization. Lancet Neurol 8:679–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Ashina S, Bendtsen L, Ashina M, Magerl W, Jensen R (2006) Generalized hyperalgesia in patients with chronic tension-type headache. Cephalalgia 26:940–948

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Rosso C, Felisati G, Bulfamante A, Pipolo C (2019) Cluster headache: crosspoint between otologists and neurologists – treatment of the sphenopalatine ganglion and systematic review. Neurol Sci 40:137–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Ashina S, Babenko L, Jensen R, Ashina M, Magerl W, Bendtsen L (2005) Increased muscular and cutaneous pain sensitivity in cephalic region in patients with chronic tension-type headache. Eur J Neurol 12:543–549

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Manzoni GC, Camarda C, Genovese A, Quintana S, Rausa F, Taga A, Torelli P (2019) Cluster headache in relation to different age groups. Neurol Sci 40:9–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Malo-Urriés M, Hidalgo-García C, Estébanez-Demiguel E, Tricás-Moreno JM, Santos-Lasaosa S, Jahanshahi M (2018) Sensory function in cluster headache: an observational study comparing the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 14:3363–3371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Cua AB, Wilhelm KP, Maibach HI (1990) Elastic properties of human skin: relation to age, sex, and anatomical region. Arch Dermatol Res 282(5):283–288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Schenk LAM, Andrasik F (2019) Behavioral and psychological aspects of cluster headache: an overview. Neurol Sci 40:3–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Kallai I, Barke A, Voss U (2004) The effects of experimenter characteristics on pain reports in women and men. Pain 112:142–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to our colleagues Andoni Carrasco Uribarren and Sara Cabanilas Barea who provided expertise that greatly assisted the research.

Funding

No funding has been obtained..

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physiotherapy Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Miguel Malo-Urriés, Elena Estébanez-de-Miguel, Elena Bueno-Gracia, José Miguel Tricás-Moreno & César Hidalgo-García

  2. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, c/ Domingo Miral s/n, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain

    Miguel Malo-Urriés, Elena Estébanez-de-Miguel, Elena Bueno-Gracia, José Miguel Tricás-Moreno & César Hidalgo-García

  3. Neurology Service, University Clinical Hospital Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain

    Sonia Santos-Lasaosa

Authors
  1. Miguel Malo-Urriés
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elena Estébanez-de-Miguel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elena Bueno-Gracia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. José Miguel Tricás-Moreno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sonia Santos-Lasaosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. César Hidalgo-García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MMU designed the study and wrote the first manuscript. EEM performed statistical analysis and wrote the manuscript. EEM, JMT, EBG, and CHG performed patient measurements and revised the manuscript. SSL recruited patients and revised the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miguel Malo-Urriés.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Ethics approval and consent to participate have been obtained (Comité Ético de Investigación Clínica de Aragón (CEICA).

Informed consent

None

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Malo-Urriés, M., Estébanez-de-Miguel, E., Bueno-Gracia, E. et al. Sensory function in headache: a comparative study among patients with cluster headache, migraine, tension-type headache, and asymptomatic subjects. Neurol Sci 41, 2801–2810 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04384-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04384-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation