Multi-center study on migraine and seizure-related headache in patients with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the frequency and characteristics of migraine and seizure-related headache (SRH) according to the criteria of the International Headache Society.

METHODS

A questionnaire was undertaken at the initial evaluation of newly referred patients from 32 epilepsy clinics.

RESULTS

Of a total of 597 patients, 74 (12.4%) patients had migraine. Age at the onset of epilepsy was lower in patients with migraine than in those without. Twenty-six (4.4%), nine (1.5%), and 146 (24.5%) patients experienced prodromal, ictal, and postictal SRH, respectively (n = 169, 28.3%). A pain intensity of prodromal and postictal SRH was 6.1 +/- 1.5 (SD) and 6.3 +/- 1.9 (SD) on the visual analogue scale, and their duration was 12.6 +/- 26.7 (SD) hours and 9.0 +/- 17.4 (SD) hours, respectively. Age at the onset of epilepsy was lower in patients with SRH than in those without, and the risk of occurrence of SRH was significantly greater in patients with longer epilepsy duration. SRH could be classified as a type of migraine in 46.2% of patients with prodromal SRH and in 36.3% of patients with postictal SRH. Prodromal SRH occurred more frequently and was more likely to be a migraine-type in patients with migraine compared with those without. Postictal SRH occurred more frequently and was more likely to be a migraine-type in patients with migraine.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that SRH is a frequent accompanying symptom of epileptic seizures causing major impairment in daily life, and migraine is an important comorbidity of epilepsy, affecting the incidence and characteristics of SRH.