Psychophysical testing in chronic migraine and chronic tension type headache: An observational study

Abstract Background Clinical presentation is the key to the diagnosis of patients with migraine and tension-type headache, but features may overlap when both become chronic. Psychophysical parameters may distinguish both conditions. We aimed to compare psychophysical aspects of patients with chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache and headache-free controls, and to determine whether these can predict headache frequency. Methods An examiner blinded to the diagnosis assessed 100 participants (chronic migraine (n = 38), chronic tension-type headache (n = 31) and controls (n = 31)). Assessed variables included painful area, pressure pain thresholds, temporal summation, cervical range of motion, neck posture, headache and neck impact, quality of life, and kinesiophobia. Comparison between groups was performed with one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression was used to assess the headache frequency predictors. Results We found differences of both headache groups compared to controls (p