title: Prognostic factors, disability, and functional status among patients in a headache specialty practice.
abstract: The objective of this study was to identify prognostic factors and assess functional status over time among patients in a headache specialty practice. Study questionnaires were mailed to 599 patients who previously presented to a headache specialty practice. Outcome measures included headache frequency, the Headache Impact Test (HIT) and the SF-36 Health Survey. Completed surveys were received from 333 respondents (56%). Thirty-five respondents (11%) had HIT scores in the 'little or no impact' range at follow-up and 191 (57%) had HIT scores in the 'severe impact' range. A diagnosis of migraine at baseline was an independent predictor of elevated HIT scores at follow-up, but gender, age, age at headache onset, daily headache at baseline, and time to follow-up did not predict poor prognosis. A subset of headache patients continue to experience marked disability and impaired functional status, months to years after presenting for headache specialty care. A diagnosis of migraine at the time of presentation may predict prognosis, but additional cohort studies with careful attention to baseline variables are needed to help identify other prognostic factors.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Coeytaux
authors.forename: E L H
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Spierings
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009462:Neurology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires