Comorbidity between headache and epilepsy in a pediatric headache center

J Headache Pain. 2010 Jun;11(3):235-40. doi: 10.1007/s10194-010-0191-6. Epub 2010 Jan 29.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse the comorbidity between headache and epilepsy in a large series of children with headache (1,795). Fifty-six cases (3.1%) suffered from idiopathic headache and idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy or unprovoked seizures. There was a strong association between migraine and epilepsy: in migraineurs (46/56) the risk of epilepsy was 3.2 times higher when compared with tension-type headache, without significant difference between migraine with and without aura (P = 0.89); children with epilepsy had a 4.5-fold increased risk of developing migraine than tension-type headache. In cases with comorbidity, focal epilepsies prevailed (43/56, 76.8%). Migraineurs affected by focal epilepsies (36/56) had a three times higher risk of having a cryptogenic epilepsy (27/36, 75%) than an idiopathic epilepsy (9/36, 25%) (P = 0.003). In migraine with aura, epilepsy preceded migraine in 71% of cases. Photosensitivity (7/56, 12.5%) and positive family history for epilepsy (22/56, 39%) were frequent in cases with comorbidity.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Factors
  • Age of Onset
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Comorbidity
  • Epilepsy / classification
  • Epilepsy / diagnosis
  • Epilepsy / epidemiology*
  • Epilepsy, Reflex / epidemiology
  • Epilepsy, Reflex / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease / epidemiology
  • Headache Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Headache Disorders / genetics
  • Headache Disorders / physiopathology
  • Health Surveys
  • Hospitals, Pediatric / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Migraine Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Migraine Disorders / genetics
  • Migraine Disorders / physiopathology
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tension-Type Headache / epidemiology*
  • Tension-Type Headache / genetics
  • Tension-Type Headache / physiopathology
  • Young Adult