OBJECTIVE To compare the ability of a headache nurse specialist and consultant neurologists in diagnosing tension-type headache and migraine. METHODS An experienced neurology ward sister was trained in the differential diagnosis of headache disorders. Over six months, patients with non-acute headache disorders and role players trained to present with benign or sinister headaches were seen by ...

Received 2 January 1996 and in revised form 18 March 1996 Accepted 22 March 1996 Abstract Objectives-Although the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline is extensively used in the prophylactic treatment of chronic tension-type headache, only few studies have investigated the efficacy of this treatment and the results are contradictory. In addition, the new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitin...

BACKGROUNDS Tension-type headache is a common psychosomatic disease. However, diurnal variation of headache is yet to be clarified, perhaps due to the lack of an appropriate method to investigate it. Like other painful diseases, it would be helpful to know if there is diurnal variation in tension-type headaches, both for managing headaches and understanding their pathophysiology. The aim of thi...

The incidence of migraine in a general population has been assessed in few longitudinal studies, and the incidence of tension-type headache has never been assessed. The authors aimed to assess the incidence of migraine and tension-type headache in Denmark by conducting a 12-year follow-up study of a general population (1989-2001). The design and methods of follow-up replicated the baseline stud...

We investigated the type and frequency of interictal primary headache and peri-ictal headache in 109 patients with partial-onset and 26 patients with generalized onset seizures in this study. Interictal headaches were present in 50 (40.7%) of 135 patients. Comparing the interictal headache on the basis of seizure type, we couldn't find any significant difference between the seizure groups. Seve...

Headache is one of the most frequent reasons for medical consultations, in both general practice and neurology clinics.(Steiner 2007) Migraine has been covered in a separate Fact Sheet so this one will focus on tension-type headache. These occur in up to around 80% of the UK adult population(Steiner 2007), and are more prevalent in women (65% of cases in one survey).(Friedman 1954) Symptoms beg...

BACKGROUND Existing criteria for the diagnosis of headache do not indicate which clinical features are most important to establish or exclude primary headache diagnoses. OBJECTIVE To determine the value of history taking in the evaluation of patients with primary headache syndromes. METHODS A MEDLINE search of English-language studies published since 1966 and a hand search of bibliographies...

We conducted a multicentre, randomized controlled trial with blinded outcome assessment. The treatment period was 6 weeks with follow-up assessment immediately thereafter and after 6 months. The objective was to determine the effectiveness of a craniocervical training programme combined with physiotherapy for tension-type headache. Eighty-one participants meeting the diagnostic criteria for ten...