title: Alexithymia in juvenile primary headache sufferers: a pilot study.
abstract: Starting in the 1990s, there has been accumulating evidence of alexithymic characteristics in adult patients with primary headache. Little research has been conducted, however, on the relationship between alexithymia and primary headache in developmental age. In their research on alexithymia in the formative years, the authors identified one of the most promising prospects for research, as discussed here. The aim of this study was to verify whether there is: (a) a link between tension-type headache and alexithymia in childhood and early adolescence; and (b) a correlation between alexithymia in children/preadolescents and their mothers. This study was based on an experimental group of 32 patients (26 females and 6 males, aged from 8 to 15 years, mean 11.2 ± 2.0) suffering from tension-type headache and 32 control subjects (26 females and 6 males, aged from 8 to 15 years, mean 11.8 ± 1.6). Tension-type headache was diagnosed by applying the International Headache Classification (ICHD-II, 2004). The alexithymic construct was measured using an Italian version of the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children in the case of the juvenile patients and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) for their mothers. Higher rates of alexithymia were observed in the children/preadolescents in the experimental group (EG) than in the control group; in the EG there was no significant correlation between the alexithymia rates in the children/preadolescents and in their mothers.
authors: Paediatrics Department, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. michela.gatta@unipd.it
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Gatta
authors: Elisabetta
authors: E
authors: Canetta
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Zordan
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Spoto
authors: Emilia
authors: E
authors: Ferruzza
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Manco
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Addis
authors: Lara
authors: L
authors: Dal Zotto
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Toldo
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Sartori
authors: Pier Antonio
authors: PA
authors: Battistella
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D051270:Headache Disorders, Primary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology