title: Headache in epilepsy patients: the (un)awareness of this phenomenon among Dutch neurologists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Headache is a frequently heard complaint that can strongly influence quality of life. This is probably even more so in people with a chronic illness. Knowing that headache, and especially migraine, is more frequent among epilepsy patients, the knowledge concerning this problem has been studied among Dutch neurologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven hundred and seventy two neurologists, working in 89 hospitals and two tertiary epilepsy clinics were asked to participate. Using a questionnaire, neurologists were surveyed on different subjects, e.g. whether they thought current headaches are more frequent in people with epilepsy than in the general population, their interest for epilepsy and how many patients with epilepsy visited their polyclinic per month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 334 questionnaires were returned (response rate of 43%) of which 18 were excluded. One third of neurologists responded affirmatively that current headaches are more prevalent among people with epilepsy and eight percent knows that this is, more specified, migraine. The number of years of experience does not influence knowledge on headaches in epilepsy patients. The interest in epilepsy and the number of epilepsy patients per month on the polyclinic does.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that the occurrence of headache in people with epilepsy is underestimated by Dutch neurologists. This leaves an often bothersome and potentially treatable condition underexposed.
authors: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Sleep Centre SEIN Zwolle, Netherlands; Department of Neurology, Medisch Spectrum Twente Hospital, Haaksbergerstraat 55, 7500 KA Enschede, Netherlands. Electronic address: w.hofstra@mst.nl.
authors: W A
authors: WA
authors: Hofstra
authors: Department of Neurology, Medisch Spectrum Twente Hospital, Haaksbergerstraat 55, 7500 KA Enschede, Netherlands. Electronic address: g.hageman@mst.nl.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Hageman
authors: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Sleep Centre SEIN Zwolle, Netherlands. Electronic address: adweerd@sein.nl.
authors: A W
authors: AW
authors: de Weerd
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications*; D006261:Headache / Q000150:complications*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Epilepsy; Headache; Migraine; Neurologists