Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of headache in developmental age, current reports about its neuropsychological effects are still lacking. The aim of the present pilot study is to assess the neuropsychological skills among children affected by migraine without aura (MwoA). Fifteen children (7M/8F) (mean age 10.73 ± 2.13) with MwoA, consecutively referred to the Center for Childhood Headache at Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, underwent the Italian version of the NEPSY-2 after cognitive evaluation. Moreover, to assess the pain level and disability grade during daily activity, the VAS and PedMIDAS scales were used. MwoA children were comparable with the control group of 38 children with respect to age, gender, language, and education level. Written informed consent was obtained from all parents and from children directly, when appropriate. MwoA children differed from controls significantly among the NEPSY-2 subscales, with a relevant relationship between the frequency and intensity of the attacks. In conclusion, the results of the present pilot study may suggest that MwoA could impact significantly neuropsychological functioning in children.
Highlights
Migraine is a common disabling primary headache disorder with relevant socioeconomic impacts during an affected individual’s lifespan [1]
Some studies have shown the presence of visuospatial memory impairment in both migraine without aura (MwoA) and migraine with aura (MwA) [5,6], and changes in verbal memory have been identified in children affected by MwoA [11]
The neuropsychological aspects of migraine in children have been studied in the past, but studies have often obtained conflicting results regarding both cognitive and neuropsychological functioning
Summary
Migraine is a common disabling primary headache disorder with relevant socioeconomic impacts during an affected individual’s lifespan [1]. In 2002 Calandre et al [19] confirmed the presence of alterations in specific neuropsychological functions, such as memory, attention, and information processing, in patients affected by MwoA and MA related to general cortical hypo-perfusion, with approximately 43% of patients with impairments in visuospatial memory. In 2000, Meyer et al [20] identified the presence of difficulty in concentration, understanding, and communication abilities during the ictal and postdromal migraine attacks These difficulties were promptly reverted by sleep and the administration of serotonergic agonists drugs. The NEPSY-II can be considered a valid tool for studying neuropsychological profiles in developmental age and provides a flexible approach for evaluating all areas of neuropsychological interest for children [26] In this perspective, we hypothesize that specific neuropsychological profile can be defined by identifying the typical NEPSY-II impairments in MwoA children compared to typical developing children. The aim of present study is to assess the putative neuropsychological profile of children with MwoA according to the NEPSY-2 evaluation
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