A prospective controlled study in the prevalence of posttraumatic headache following mild traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the prevalence of post traumatic headache, persisting at 3 months following minor traumatic brain injury.


METHODS
A prospective controlled study of patients admitted with a diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury and matched orthopedic controls over 12 months during 2004.


METHODS
A level two inner city Emergency Department in Sydney, Australia.


METHODS
One hundred eligible sequential admissions with mild traumatic brain injury as defined by American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, 1993, and 100 matched minor injury controls with nondeceleration injuries.


METHODS
Subjects were part of a study on prediction of postconcussive syndrome and had neuropsychological tests, balance test and pain recordings taken at the time of injury, at 1 month and at 3 months post injury.


METHODS
Main measures were the reporting of headache "worse than prior to the injury" and concordant with the definition of Posttraumatic Headache according to International Headache Society Classification of Headache Disorders 2003.


RESULTS
15.34% of those with minor head injury continued to complain of perisistant posttraumatic headache at 3 months compared to 2.2% of the minor injury controls.


CONCLUSIONS
To the authors' knowledge this is the first controlled prospective study in the prevalence of posttraumatic headache following mild traumatic brain injury.
Faux
S
S
Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. sfaux@optusnet.com.au
Sheedy
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010147:Pain Measurement; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051298:Post-Traumatic Headache / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult