Cohort study, 2009
What types of headaches do women with PMS experience?
Migraine without aura is most common, occurring in 60 percent of women with PMS headaches, followed by tension-type headache in 30 percent. The type remained consistent for most women over time.
What they did
Prospective diary study of 45 women of fertile age with PMS. Women tracked headaches and PMS symptoms daily for three consecutive months. Each headache was classified according to international headache diagnostic criteria.
What they found
Of 45 women studied, 27 experienced migraine without aura (60 percent) and 15 experienced tension-type headache (30 percent). Only 2 women showed variation in headache type across the three months. Only 1 woman's headache could not be classified using the standard criteria.
What it means for you
If you have headaches with PMS, they are likely to be a recognizable type that doctors can diagnose and treat. Knowing the type helps guide treatment choices. The study was small from a single center, so results may not apply to all women.
27 (60%)
Women with migraine without aura
15 (30%)
Women with tension-type headache
3 months
Duration of diary tracking
About the study
- Original title
- Characterization of headaches in the premenstrual tension syndrome
- Authors
- Fragoso YD, Guidoni AC, de Castro LB
- Journal
- Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria
- Year
- 2009
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 27
- What was tested
- None (prospective diary study)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1590/s0004-282x2009000100010
Topics
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