Age migraine and achievement motivation related? A psychophysiological study of responses to real-life achievement stress in young headache sufferers.
Achievement motivation and its physiological correlates were studied in 37 young migrainous headache sufferers (30 females and 7 males) and in 37 matched controls. Temporal and digital pulse amplitude, the EMGs of the m. frontalis, anterior temporalis and corrugator supercilii, heart and respiration rate, head temperature and electrodermal activity were measured during an adaptation session, an examination and an intelligence test. An abnormal response in the temporal artery, which was present in the migrainous headache sufferers, was not associated with achievement motivation. But the latter was positively associated with a high skin conductance level, a greater number of spontaneous skin conductance responses (SCRs) during the examination and a lower digital pulse amplitude in both the migrainous headache and control groups. Higher sympathetic activity in subjects with high achievement motivation was interpreted as an indication of greater mental effort and is a possible contributory factor to an attack in those with migraine.
Passchier
J
J
Department of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Goudswaard
P
P
Orlebeke
J F
JF
Verhage
F
F
D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D009042:Motivation; D010556:Personality Tests