Disability and quality of life in patients with different forms of migraine

Excerpt

Migraine (M) is the seventh leading cause of years of life lost to disability (YLDs) worldwide, responsible for 2.9% of all YLDs, more than half of all YLDs attributable to neurological disorders[1]. Its negative effects result from several studies, particularly in surveys carried out by our research group, through the application of patient oriented outcome measures (PROMS), and in their development and validation[2‐4]. Administration of MIDAS (a migraine-specific tool) demonstrated that: the disability level is rather high (particularly in chronic M); social, family and leisure activities are more impaired than work activities; days spent at work with reduced effectiveness are more than days of absence[3‐5]. A better understanding of the pervasive impact of migraine has been achieved using the WHODAS 2.0, a questionnaire based on the International Classification of Functioning, which captures the interaction between the individual's health status and the context of life. Our data, together with many results deriving from the application of quality of life tools (e.g., SF-36 and MSQ), showed that migraine influences physical and emotional domains, causes restriction and avoidance of activities also outside the headache episodes[6‐11]. …