Sumatriptan responsiveness and clinical, psychiatric and psychologic features in migraine patients.
OBJECTIVE
To compare sumatriptan responders and nonresponders in a migraine population with regard to a number of clinical, psychiatric and psychologic features.


METHODS
Patients were drawn from a referral headache clinic population, and classified as responders or nonresponders. Clinical features were assessed by a written questionnaire. The lifetime prevalence of several psychiatric disorders was determined by the National Institute of Mental Health diagnostic interview schedule and personality factors were measured by the 16 Personality Factors (16PF) Questionnaire.


RESULTS
Nonresponders indicated less influence on their migraine by menstrual factors, had a higher lifetime prevalence of generalized anxiety, and showed 16PF scores indicating greater shyness, self-sufficiency and perfectionism. Nonresponders were also more imaginative and less socially outgoing.


CONCLUSIONS
Although they must be interpreted with caution due to small sample size and the multiple comparisons made, our results indicate that there may be differences between sumatriptan responders and nonresponders with regard to a number of clinical, psychiatric and psychologic factors. These results suggest that biological differences exist between the two patient groups which likely account for both the differences in their responses to sumatriptan and in the clinical features noted above.
Meckling
S K
SK
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.
Becker
W J
WJ
Rose
M S
MS
Dalby
J T
JT
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000523:psychology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D018170:Sumatriptan