Overview
Children and adolescents with chronic daily headache (defined as 15 or more headache days per month) are frequently seen in tertiary headache clinics. Chronic daily headache is associated with significant disability, including great difficulty with daily functioning, frequent school absences, and increased emotional distress. It is known that children who experience recurrent headaches often continue to have them into adulthood. No evidence-based interventions exist for youth with chronic daily headache.
Pilot Study
We conducted a pilot study to examine the efficacy of combined behavioral (i.e., coping skills training) and pharmacological (i.e., Amitriptyline) treatment in reducing headache frequency and functional disability in youth ages 12 to 17 years with chronic daily headache. Participants were recruited through the Headache Center at CCHMC, if they met criteria. At this time as part of their regular visit they also reported on frequency, duration, severity of their headaches, and impact of headaches on quality of life (PedsMIDAS) over the past month. For the intervention, participants then received 8 weekly sessions of biofeedback. These sessions taught participants skills related to relaxation and coping while allowing them to monitor their progress via muscle tension on a computer screen. During the 8 week intervention participants tracked their headaches and symptoms using daily headache logs. Following the intervention, participants again reported on the frequency, duration, severity, and impact of headaches on quality of life over the past month. Results were presented at the American Headache Society Meeting in June 2005.
Clinical Trial
