title: Menstrual versus non-menstrual attacks of migraine without aura in women with and without menstrual migraine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this article is to compare clinical characteristics of menstrual and non-menstrual attacks of migraine without aura (MO), prospectively recorded in a headache diary, by women with and without a diagnosis of menstrual migraine without aura (MM) according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 237 women from the general population with self-reported migraine in ≥50% of their menstrual periods were interviewed and classified by a physician according to the criteria of the ICHD II. Subsequently, all participants were instructed to complete a prospective headache diary for at least three menstrual cycles. Clinical characteristics of menstrual and non-menstrual attacks of MO were compared by a regression model for repeated measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 123 (52%) women completed the diary. In the 56 women who were prospectively diagnosed with MM by diary, the menstrual MO-attacks were longer (on average 10.65 hours, 99% CI 3.17-18.12) and more frequently accompanied by severe nausea (OR 2.14, 99% CI 1.20-3.84) than non-menstrual MO-attacks. No significant differences between menstrual and non-menstrual MO-attacks were found among women with MO, but no MM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women from the general population, menstrual MO-attacks differ from non-menstrual attacks only in women who fulfil the ICHD criteria for MM.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Research Group, Research Centre, Akershus University Hospital, Norway Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Akershus University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway kjersti.vetvik@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: Kjersti Grøtta
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Vetvik
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Akershus University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway HØKH, Research Centre, Akershus University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Jūratė Šaltytė
authors.initials: JŠ
authors.lastname: Benth
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK.
authors.forename: E Anne
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: MacGregor
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Research Group, Research Centre, Akershus University Hospital, Norway Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Akershus University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway HØKH, Research Centre, Akershus University Hospital, Norway Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Christofer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lundqvist
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Research Group, Research Centre, Akershus University Hospital, Norway Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Akershus University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Michael Bjørn
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation; D020326:Migraine without Aura / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Menstrual migraine; characteristics; classification; headache diary; menstruation; migraine