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Open Access 01-06-2010 | Original

Comorbidity between headache and epilepsy in a pediatric headache center

Authors: Irene Toldo, Egle Perissinotto, Francesca Menegazzo, Clementina Boniver, Stefano Sartori, Leonardo Salviati, Maurizio Clementi, Pasquale Montagna, Pier Antonio Battistella

Published in: The Journal of Headache and Pain | Issue 3/2010

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse the comorbidity between headache and epilepsy in a large series of children with headache (1,795). Fifty-six cases (3.1%) suffered from idiopathic headache and idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy or unprovoked seizures. There was a strong association between migraine and epilepsy: in migraineurs (46/56) the risk of epilepsy was 3.2 times higher when compared with tension-type headache, without significant difference between migraine with and without aura (P = 0.89); children with epilepsy had a 4.5-fold increased risk of developing migraine than tension-type headache. In cases with comorbidity, focal epilepsies prevailed (43/56, 76.8%). Migraineurs affected by focal epilepsies (36/56) had a three times higher risk of having a cryptogenic epilepsy (27/36, 75%) than an idiopathic epilepsy (9/36, 25%) (P = 0.003). In migraine with aura, epilepsy preceded migraine in 71% of cases. Photosensitivity (7/56, 12.5%) and positive family history for epilepsy (22/56, 39%) were frequent in cases with comorbidity.

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Title: Comorbidity between headache and epilepsy in a pediatric headache center
Authors: Irene Toldo
Egle Perissinotto
Francesca Menegazzo
Clementina Boniver
Stefano Sartori
Leonardo Salviati
Maurizio Clementi
Pasquale Montagna
Pier Antonio Battistella
Publication date: 01-06-2010
Publisher: Springer Milan
Published in: The Journal of Headache and Pain / Issue 3/2010
Print ISSN: 1129-2369
Electronic ISSN: 1129-2377
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194-010-0191-6

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Comorbidity between headache and epilepsy in a pediatric headache center

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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