Clinical characteristics of patients with chronic migraine, depending on their personality profile

Abstract

Background: Chronic migraine is a highly disabling neurological disease that is difficult to treat. The success of the therapeutic management depends, in part, on the psychosocial and personal factors. Aims: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients suffering from chronic migraine, depending on the prevailing coping strategy of the individual. Methods: 104 patients with an established diagnosis of chronic migraine were examined, all of them underwent а clinical and neurological examination and questionnaire testing. Results: In the studied group of patients, active behavioral coping strategies (a strategy for solving the problem and seeking a social support) prevailed, while passive coping was much less common. The patients with active coping strategies had the lowest level of comorbid psychoemotional disorders. Conclusion: The patients with passive coping strategies had a shorter medical history and the least severe effect of migraine, but the frequency of headaches and time lost due to headaches for these patients were comparable to those for the patients with active coping strategies.

Keywords

• chronic migraine
• coping strategies
• comorbid disorders
• anxiety
• depression