Primary Headache Types and Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy

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Background/Purpose: Among the most common comorbidities of epilepsy is headache. In this study, the distribution of primary headache types, the influence of gender, and differences in quality of life were assessed in children with diagnosed epilepsy. Methods: In this prospective multicenter study, 119 children with epilepsy (59 females, mean age: 11.5 ± 3.1 years) were evaluated regarding primary headache types using a validated questionnaire which allowed the classification of migraine, tension-type headache and trigeminal-autonomic headache. Quality of life was assessed with the KINDL-R using a children and parent version. Results: Of 119 children, 46 (38.7%) patients (30 females and 17 males) reported suffering from headache. Of 46 patients with headache, 16 patients (34.8%) had migraine (without aura, with aura), 9 (19.6%) had tension-type headache, and 21 (45.7%) showed not classifiable headache. No patient reported to have trigeminal-autonomic headache. Female epilepsy patients were significantly more often affected by headaches than male patients ( χ 2 = 5.4, p = 0.02). The distribution of headache between female and male patients. Females reported significantly more often to suffer from headaches. Patients with headache had significantly lower quality of life than patients without headache from a patient's and parent's point of view (patients: 70.8% [39.6; 87.5] vs. 77.6% [46.9; 95.8], p = 0.002; parents: 71.9% [33.3; 87.5] vs. 78.1% [54.2; 95.8], p = 0.003). Conclusion: Headache is common among children with epilepsy and migraine affects about one-third of patients. Furthermore, headache seems to be more frequent in female patients. Importantly, headache as a comorbidity may reduce the quality of life of patients additionally to the impact of epilepsy itself. Publication History Article published online: 13 November 2023 © 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

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