O Sjaastad1, L S Bakketeig. 1. Department of Neurology, Regionsykehuset i Trondheim, Trondheim University Hospitals, N-7006 Trondheim, Norway.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore in detail the duration of exertional headache attacks and explicitly to identify cases of prolonged exertional headache. BACKGROUND: The prevalence of exertional headache in general population samples may exceed 10%. The prevalence and distinguishing clinical characteristics of prolonged exertional headache are not well delineated. METHODS: One author (O.S.) personally interviewed 1838 parishioners (88.6%) of ages 18 to 65 years living in a southern Norwegian commune. Questions relevant to exertional headache were included. RESULTS: As recently reported elsewhere, exertional headache was present in 12.3% of those questioned. With 1 hour set as a tentative border for short- versus long-duration exertional headache, there were approximately equal numbers with short- and long-lasting attacks; prevalence of short-lasting attacks was 6.3% and long-lasting attack prevalence was 6.0%. In regards to other epidemiologic and clinical features, the long-lasting cases did not seem to deviate from the short-lasting cases; both categories had a moderate female preponderance and similar age of onset. There was a somewhat higher mean number of "migrainelike features" in the long-lasting than in the short-lasting variety of exertional headache. Exertional headache attacks could last up to 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS; There seems to be little reason to subdivide exertional headache into 2 separate varieties according to attack duration. Exertional headache attacks have "migrainelike" features but do not seem to be "form fruste" migraine attacks. The long-lasting variety is not uncommon.
OBJECTIVE: To explore in detail the duration of exertional headache attacks and explicitly to identify cases of prolonged exertional headache. BACKGROUND: The prevalence of exertional headache in general population samples may exceed 10%. The prevalence and distinguishing clinical characteristics of prolonged exertional headache are not well delineated. METHODS: One author (O.S.) personally interviewed 1838 parishioners (88.6%) of ages 18 to 65 years living in a southern Norwegian commune. Questions relevant to exertional headache were included. RESULTS: As recently reported elsewhere, exertional headache was present in 12.3% of those questioned. With 1 hour set as a tentative border for short- versus long-duration exertional headache, there were approximately equal numbers with short- and long-lasting attacks; prevalence of short-lasting attacks was 6.3% and long-lasting attack prevalence was 6.0%. In regards to other epidemiologic and clinical features, the long-lasting cases did not seem to deviate from the short-lasting cases; both categories had a moderate female preponderance and similar age of onset. There was a somewhat higher mean number of "migrainelike features" in the long-lasting than in the short-lasting variety of exertional headache. Exertional headache attacks could last up to 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS; There seems to be little reason to subdivide exertional headache into 2 separate varieties according to attack duration. Exertional headache attacks have "migrainelike" features but do not seem to be "form fruste" migraine attacks. The long-lasting variety is not uncommon.