title: 1044 women with migraine: the effect of environmental stimuli.
abstract: This study initiated by a self-help migraine group investigated disability caused by visual environmental stimuli, e.g. glare, flicker, pattern and color. One thousand forty-four women with migraine completed the self-report questionnaire on visual environmental stimuli reported in earlier studies to precipitate or aggravate migraine. One hundred twenty-one female controls were obtained from general practice and hospital out-patients. The responses of the classical, common and non-migraine groups were compared. Women with classical migraine expressed greater disability than those with common migraine or controls both in respect of number of visual sensitivities reported (P < 0.0001) and severity of consequences of such stimuli (P < 0.0001). This study indicated differences between classical and common migraine outside of the attack phase apart from aura. Reported range of sensitivities for the migraineurs peaked between the ages of 46-60 years. A high level of unrealized disability caused by visual environmental stimuli was thus identified in hitherto unexplored self-help groups.
authors.affiliation: Organization Studies and Applied Psychology Division, Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, England.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mortimer
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Debney
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Good
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires