Posttraumatic vs nontraumatic headaches: A phenotypic analysis in a military population.

Neurology

From the Metti Consulting Company (A.M.), Pittsburgh, PA; Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (K.S., A.F., R.P.), Silver Spring, MD; 9Line, LLC (K.S.), Tampa, FL; Carolina Headache Institute (A.F.), Durham, NC; Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Psychiatry, and Neurology (L.B.), Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado Aurora; Marcus Institute for Brain Health (L.B.), Aurora; VHA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (L.B.), Denver, CO; Womack Army Medical Center (A.F., W.C.), Fort Bragg, NC; Evans Army Community Hospital (H.T.), Colorado Springs, CO; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (A.I.S.), Bethesda MD.

Published: March 2020

Objective: To describe and compare phenotypic features of posttraumatic headaches (PTH) and headaches unrelated to concussion.

Methods: Participants are a random sample of recently deployed soldiers from the Warrior Strong cohort, consisting of soldiers with (n = 557) and without (n = 1,030) a history of a recent mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI; concussion). mTBI+ soldiers were subdivided as PTH+ (n = 230) and PTH- (n = 327). Headache classification was based on a detailed phenotypic questionnaire. Medical encounters for headache were documented for the year after deployment.

Results: The findings here are limited to the soldiers with headaches, consisting of 94% of the mTBI+ soldiers and 76% of the mTBI- soldiers. Other than headache duration, all headache/migraine features were more common or more severe in the PTH+ group compared to the nonconcussed group (mTBI-) and compared to the concussed group with nontraumatic headaches (PTH-). Headaches were largely similar in the mTBI- and PTH- groups. The features most specific to PTH+ included allodynia, visual aura, sensory aura, daily headache, and continuous headache. Medical consultation for headache was most common in the PTH+ group (62%) vs the PTH- group (20%) or the mTBI- group (13%) ( < 0.008).

Conclusions: In this cohort of recently deployed soldiers, PTHs are more severe, frequent, and migraine-like and more often associated with medical consultation compared to headaches presumed unrelated to concussion. Future observational studies are needed to verify and characterize the PTH phenotype, which could be followed by treatment trials with appropriate and possibly novel outcomes for prespecified subgroups.

Clinicaltrialsgov Identifier: NCT01847040.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000008935DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

nontraumatic headaches
8
deployed soldiers
8
mtbi+ soldiers
8
pth+ group
8
medical consultation
8
headaches
7
soldiers
7
headache
6
group
6
posttraumatic nontraumatic
4

Similar Publications

Aim: Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is a rare cause of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with significant clinical implications. This study compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of SAH from intracranial VAD rupture to those from other etiologies, primarily aneurysmal rupture.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study at Okayama University Hospital included patients with non-traumatic SAH diagnosed between 2019 and 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pure acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is an uncommon clinical presentation of ruptured intracranial aneurysms, and only rarely, the culprit is a cortical microaneurysm.Mortality can be high; thus, appropriate diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Due to its extreme rarity, there are no available guidelines.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Massive pneumocephalus after Valsalva maneuver in sphenoidal meningocele.

J Clin Neurosci

December 2024

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy; Head and Neck Surgery & Forensic Dissection Research Center (HNS&FDRc), Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.

Pneumocephalus, defined as the presence of gas within the intracranial space, typically results from head trauma, surgery, or diagnostic/therapeutic procedures that disrupt the dura. However, spontaneous or non-traumatic pneumocephalus is rare. This video article presents a case report of a 64-year-old woman referred to the Department of Otolaryngology with a severe frontal headache and clear nasal discharge (rhinorrhea) after performing the Valsalva maneuver to relieve ear fullness.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is encountered in numerous traumatic and non-traumatic medical situations, and it requires immediate recognition and attention. Clinically, ICP typically presents with a headache that is most severe in the morning, aggravated by Valsalva-like maneuvers, and associated with nausea or vomiting. Papilledema is a well-recognized sign of increased ICP; however, emergency physicians often find it difficult to visualize the optic disc using ophthalmoscopy or to accurately interpret digital fundus photographs when using a non-mydriatic retinal camera.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * The case studies a man in his 20s who experienced spontaneous, non-traumatic multivessel CAD affecting three to four vessels, leading to bilateral cerebellar infarcts and a basilar artery thrombus.
  • * It's essential for clinicians to recognize CAD and its potential severity, emphasizing the need for thorough clinical examinations and proper imaging, and highlighting the importance of accurately assessing eye movements in the diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!