title: Differential emotional precipitation of migraine and tension-type headache attacks.
abstract: The frequency of precipitation of headache attacks by individual emotional states as well as the awareness of vulnerability to particular emotional precipitants were investigated in 90 consecutive patients with tension-type headache and 50 consecutive migraine subjects at an Outpatient Headache Clinic. There was differential emotional precipitation in tension-type headache and migraine, with patients with tension-type headache reacting more selectively to negative emotional arousal (anger, anxiety) and reporting a graded frequency of attack precipitation by individual emotional states. Migraine subjects reported a more uniform distribution of attacks among different emotional precipitants. The two groups also showed a differential awareness of vulnerability to individual emotional precipitants. A cognitive process screening the emotional precipitants of tension-type headache and migraine attacks is proposed, based on different cognitive schemata functioning either over-effectively or defectively. The significance of cognitive mediation of the precipitation of attacks is further emphasized for a comprehensive management of both tension-type headache and migraine.
authors.affiliation: Community Mental Health Center 2nd University Department of Psychiatry, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Donias
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peioglou-Harmoussi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Georgiadis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*