title: Headache and memory impairment. Study on 100 headache patients.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to explore the association between memory impairment and primary headache. 100 headache patients (71 females, 29 males, mean age 35.6 +/- 13.8) and 20 healthy subjects (14 females, 6 males, mean age 37.3 +/- 12.1) as control group, were examined: a significant difference between the two groups was found (p < 0.001). The patients were divided into different groups according to the kind of headache, the use of analgesics, the pain side and the illness length: significant differences were found between patients who made a low use of analgesics and the others (p < 0.001); the illness duration also seems to be relevant in the progressive memory impairment, because it strengthens some immunologic and biochemical mechanisms able to favour a progressive mnemonic damage.
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Naples, Federico II, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sepe
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Colao
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Merola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Massari
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Covelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics