Suat Kucukgoncu1, Feride Yildirim Ornek2, Murat Cabalar2, Emrem Bestepe3, Vildan Yayla2. 1. Yale University Department of Psychiatry, Connecticut Mental Health Hospital, New Haven, United States. Electronic address: suatkucukgoncu@yahoo.com. 2. Bakirkoy Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. 3. Erenkoy Research Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were: i) to compare the severity of somatoform and psychoform dissociation and childhood trauma among migraine patients, tension-type headache patients (TTH), and healthy controls; and, ii) to identify any relationships between headache characteristics and dissociative symptoms and traumatic childhood experiences among tertiary care patients with headache. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 79 patients with migraine, 49 patients with TTH and 40 healthy controls. They completed the socio-demographic form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ). RESULTS: The average score for childhood emotional abuse was significantly higher in the TTH and migraine patients than in healthy controls; mean scores for emotional neglect and physical abuse were higher in TTH patients than healthy controls; and the total CTQ score was higher in TTH patients than in either migraine patients or healthy controls. Average DES scores were significantly higher in TTH patients versus migraine patients and controls; and SDQ scores were higher in both headache groups than in controls. Headache duration and severity were found to be significantly related to childhood abuse scores among migraine but not TTH patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the evidence of a relationship between childhood trauma and migraines, and suggest that childhood traumatic events are common and deleteriously effect migraine characteristics. Also our study suggests that childhood trauma may have a role in TTH. Significant differences in the DES and SDQ scores between groups may be explained by the differences in childhood trauma experiences.
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were: i) to compare the severity of somatoform and psychoform dissociation and childhood trauma among migrainepatients, tension-type headachepatients (TTH), and healthy controls; and, ii) to identify any relationships between headache characteristics and dissociative symptoms and traumatic childhood experiences among tertiary care patients with headache. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 79 patients with migraine, 49 patients with TTH and 40 healthy controls. They completed the socio-demographic form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ). RESULTS: The average score for childhood emotional abuse was significantly higher in the TTH and migrainepatients than in healthy controls; mean scores for emotional neglect and physical abuse were higher in TTH patients than healthy controls; and the total CTQ score was higher in TTH patients than in either migrainepatients or healthy controls. Average DES scores were significantly higher in TTH patients versus migrainepatients and controls; and SDQ scores were higher in both headache groups than in controls. Headache duration and severity were found to be significantly related to childhood abuse scores among migraine but not TTH patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the evidence of a relationship between childhood trauma and migraines, and suggest that childhood traumatic events are common and deleteriously effect migraine characteristics. Also our study suggests that childhood trauma may have a role in TTH. Significant differences in the DES and SDQ scores between groups may be explained by the differences in childhood trauma experiences.
Authors: Bizu Gelaye; Ngan Do; Samantha Avila; Juan Carlos Velez; Qiu-Yue Zhong; Sixto E Sanchez; B Lee Peterlin; Michelle A Williams Journal: Headache Date: 2016-05-31 Impact factor: 5.887