title: The comprehensive headache-related quality of life questionnaire shows significant improvement after withdrawal treatment in medication overuse headache: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a common form of disabling headache presenting in as much as 30% of the patients seen in headache subspecialty practice. Quality of life (QOL) is frequently used as a secondary endpoint in headache trials. In MOH, previous trials of QOL focused mostly on generic QOL. We report the results of a pilot study that examined the feasibility of using a new QOL questionnaire, the 23-item Comprehensive Headache-related Quality of life Questionnaire (CHQQ), as an indicator of treatment response in MOH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients (13 women and two men; mean age: 39.7 +/- 12.5 years) suffering from MOH were enrolled in a complex treatment programme consisting of acute medication withdrawal, preventive pharmacological treatment, structured advice and lifestyle intervention. The clinical data were collected using a detailed headache diary. CHQQ was completed before and after the treatment programme.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MOH patients had low QOL values at baseline which was comparable to the QOL of episodic migraine patients. The treatment programme resulted in significant reductions of the number of headache days and attacks, headache severity and analgesic consumption. The dimensions and total score of CHQQ showed a significant increase after the treatment period. Seventeen of CHQQ's 23 individual items also improved significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study the new headache-specific quality of life instrument CHQQ was able to demonstrate significant improvements after adequate treatment of MOH. This result indicates that the CHQQ may be an adequate tool for assessing quality of life in headache treatment trials.
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gyüre
authors.forename: Éva
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Csépány
authors.forename: Boglárka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hajnal
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kellermann
authors.forename: Eszter
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balogh
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Nóra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manhalter
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bozsik
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ertsey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012651:Self Medication / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D028761:Withholding Treatment
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics