Depression and Anxiety in Episodic and Chronic Cluster Headache: A Pilot Study

• Published in: Headache Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 600 - 611
• Main Authors: Robbins, Matthew S., Bronheim, Rachel, Lipton, Richard B., Grosberg, Brian M., Vollbracht, Sarah, Sheftell, Fred D., Buse, Dawn C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.04.2012; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnosis; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Caffeine; Child; chronic; Clinical trials; cluster headache; Cluster Headache - diagnosis; Cluster Headache - epidemiology; Cluster Headache - psychology; comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; episodic; Female; Headache; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Headaches; Humans; Inventories; Male; Medical research; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Migraine; Nausea; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Pain; Pilot Projects; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Young Adult; Mood disorder; Nervous system diseases; episodic; Cardiovascular disease; Depression; Cerebral disorder; Vascular disease; Chronic; Cluster headache; Pain; comorbidity; Central nervous system disease; Anxiety; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 0017-8748; 1526-4610
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2011.02024.x

Background.— In contrast to migraine and tension‐type headache, the psychiatric comorbidities of cluster headache (CH) have not been well‐studied. Objective.— We assessed the presence of depression and anxiety in groups of episodic CH (ECH) and chronic CH (CCH) patients and compared CH patients with and without depression and anxiety. Methods.— Sociodemographics, comorbidities, and selected headache features were ascertained from a clinic‐based sample in a cross‐sectional fashion from January 2007 to July 2010. Active depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7‐item (GAD‐7) scales. Results.— Of 49 CH patients, ECH patients (n = 32) had an earlier age of onset and consumed less caffeine than CCH patients (n = 17). Rates of depression as defined by a PHQ‐9 score ≥10 were low in both ECH (6.3%) and in CCH (11.8%) with similar mean PHQ‐9 scores (3.1 vs 3.7, P = .69). Rates of anxiety as defined by a GAD‐7 score ≥10 were also low in both ECH (15.6%) and CCH (11.8%) with similar mean GAD‐7 scores (3.8 vs 3.4, P = .76). ECH patients in and out of active attack periods had similar levels of depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety usually occurred together in ECH and CCH patients. CH patients who were depressed or anxious were more likely to present at a younger age and have attack‐related nausea and prodromal symptoms. Depressed CH patients were also more likely to have another pain disorder and had undertaken twice as many prophylactic medication trials. Conclusion.— In this clinic‐based cross‐sectional study, ECH and CCH patients had similarly low rates of depression and anxiety. Rates were lower than those reported for both episodic and chronic migraine.