Population-Based Validation of a German-Language Self-Administered Headache Questionnaire

• Published in: Cephalalgia Vol. 28; no. 6; pp. 605 - 608
• Main Authors: Yoon, M-S, Obermann, M, Fritsche, G, Slomke, M, Dommes, P, Schilf, C, Diener, H-C, Katsarava, Z
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.06.2008; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Female; Germany - epidemiology; Headache; Headache - classification; Headache - diagnosis; Headache - epidemiology; Humans; Language; Male; migraine; Observer Variation; Pain Measurement - methods; Pain Measurement - statistics & numerical data; Patient Participation - methods; Patient Participation - statistics & numerical data; questionnaire; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Surveys and Questionnaires; tension‐type headache; trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias; validity; Germany; Headache; questionnaire; migraine; validity; tension-type headache; trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias
• ISSN: 0333-1024; 1468-2982; 1468-2982
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01560.x

We validated a German-language self-administered headache questionnaire for migraine (M), tension-type headache (TTH) and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC) in a general population sample of people with headache. Randomly selected subjects (n = 240) diagnosed by the questionnaire as M (n = 60), TTH (n = 60), a combination of M and TTH (M+TTH, n = 60) and TAC (n = 60) were invited for examination by headache specialists. One hundred and ninety-three subjects (80%) were studied. Sensitivity and specificity for M were 0.85 and 0.85, for TTH 0.6 and 0.88, for M+TTH 0.82 and 0.87, respectively. Cohen's κ was 0.6 (95% confidence interval 0.50, 0.71). Of 45 patients with TAC according to the questionnaire, physicians diagnosed cluster headache in two patients only. We conclude: (i) the questionnaire can be used to diagnose M, TTH and M+TTH, but not TAC; (ii) screening questionnaires for epidemiological research should be validated in a general population sample but not in a tertiary headache clinic.