Psychological correlates of idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
BACKGROUND
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, also known as pseudotumor cerebri, is a relatively rare disorder of increased intracranial pressure >250 mm water, with a normal neuroimaging and normal cerebrospinal fluid content.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether hostility, anxiety and autobiographical memory (a correlate of depression) are associated with IIH.


METHODS
Using a case-control cross sectional design, 20 patients with IIH were compared with 9 healthy controls of similar age, weight and height, and 11 headache controls. Patients were assessed for hostility and anxiety. The Autobiographical Memory Test was used to assess episodic memories.


RESULTS
The IIH group reported significantly more anxiety and more general episodic memories than the healthy controls, but not the headache control group. The headache control patients reported more general memories than did the healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with headaches, whether of general origin or related to IIH, have a poor psychosocial profile. While the study design does not permit any conclusions regarding causality, our results support the need to consider psychological factors in evaluating and treating IIH and headache patients.
Kesler
Anat
A
Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Sourasky Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. kesler@netvision.net.il
Mosek
Amnon
A
Fithlicher
Nataly
N
Gidron
Yori
Y
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011559:Pseudotumor Cerebri / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012918:Social Alienation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires