Intracranial abnormalities and headache: A population-based imaging study (HUNT MRI).

Background: Most studies on intracranial abnormalities among headache sufferers were performed in selected clinical populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between intracranial abnormalities and headache among middle-aged adults in the general population.

Methods: Participants in a large epidemiological study (the HUNT 3 study; 2006-2008) who answered a headache questionnaire and participated in a population-based imaging study of the head (HUNT MRI; 2007-2009) were included (n = 864; age, 50-65 at enrollment). Based on the responses to the HUNT 3 questionnaire, respondents were categorized as having migraine, tension-type headache, or unclassified headache. Logistic regression was used to compare the occurrence of intracranial abnormalities between groups.

Results: Intracranial abnormalities were more common in headache sufferers than in headache-free individuals (29% vs. 22%, respectively; p = 0.041). Adjusted multivariate analyses revealed that those with tension-type headache had higher odds of having minor abnormalities (odds ratio, 2.13; 95% confidence interval = 1.18-3.85). This association disappeared when those with only white matter hyperintensities were removed from the analysis.

Conclusions: Headache sufferers had increased odds of minor intracranial abnormalities. The increased odds were primarily related to the presence of white matter hyperintensities.