[Fear of migraine attacks: diagnosis and treatment].

In the field of headache disorders, the term "fear of attacks" refers to the fear of a headache attack occurring. Excessive fear of attacks may worsen the course of a migraine and lead to an increase in migraine activity. In the assessment of attack-related fear, a categorical (fear of attacks as a specific phobia) and a dimensional approach (measuring the extent of fear using a questionnaire) are available.

Assessing attack-related fear in headache disorders-Structure and psychometric properties of the Fear of Attacks in Migraine Inventory.

Objective: This study aimed to develop a self-report questionnaire for the assessment of attack-related fear in migraine, and to determine its factor structure as well as its psychometric properties by the primary analysis of a cross-sectional survey's data.

Background: High fear of attacks in migraine increases the burden of disease and is assumed to have a negative impact on the course of the disease. Little is known about the structure and dimensionality of attack-related fear, and a valid instrument for the comprehensive assessment is lacking.