Electromyographic and affective responses of episodic tension-type headache patients and headache-free controls during stressful task performance.
Thirty-four subjects meeting diagnostic criteria for episodic tension-type headache and 42 who rarely experienced headaches participated in two laboratory sessions in which cephalic electromyographic (EMG) activity, electrodermal activity, heart rate, and finger temperature were recorded. Subjects performed relaxation, choice reaction time, psychomotor tracking, voluntary muscle contraction, and cold pressor tasks. Headache subjects showed significantly greater EMG activity than controls during baseline and stressful task performance. During relaxation, both groups reduced EMG activity from baseline levels, and there was no significant difference in EMG level between the groups during relaxation. Headache subjects reported higher levels of subjective anxiety, depression, anger, and stress than controls. Headache subjects also reported higher levels of pain than controls, and headache subjects reported greater pain during stressful task performance relative to baseline and recovery periods.
Hatch
J P
JP
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7792.
Moore
P J
PJ
Borcherding
S
S
Cyr-Provost
M
M
Boutros
N N
NN
Seleshi
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006261:Headache / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000502:physiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology