Can headache impair intellectual abilities in children? An observational study

Figures & data

Table 1 Anthropometric and clinical characteristics among children with migraine without aura, tension-type headache, and controls

	MoA (n = 75)	TTH (n = 72)	Control (n = 137)	P
				MoA versus control	TTH versus control	MoA versus TTH
Age	10.66 ± 2.65	10.97 ± 1.52	10.78 ± 2.35	0.731	0.526	0.38
Gender distribution (M/F)	43/32	49/23	93/44	0.167	0.896	0.241
Z-score BMI	0.56 ± 0.24	0.59 ± 0.39	0.51 ± 0.25	0.159	0.073	0.52
Frequency of attacks	11.78 ± 6.53	12.9 ± 5.23	–	–	–	0.254

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; MoA, migraine without aura; TTH, tension-type headache.

Table 2 Mean and standard deviation for cognitive indices in children with migraine without aura or tension-type headache, and control children

	MoA (n = 75)	TTH (n = 72)	Control (n = 137)	Pa
				MoA versus normal	TTH versus normal	MoA versus TTH
VIQ	102.65 ± 15.44	98.58 ± 10.51	105.31 ± 13.44	1.35	0.002	0.453
PIQ	92.73 ± 14.51	101.42 ± 14.28	95.02 ± 13.58	1.775	0.012	0.002
FIQ	97.31 ± 16.39	99.63 ± 11.80	100.23 ± 12.49	1.027	5.134	2.293
VC	104.76 ± 18.74	99.12 ± 9.80	103 ± 13.12	2.979	0.198	0.171
PO	91.42 ± 13.95	99.47 ± 13.58	96.6 ± 11.99	0.035	0.829	0.003
VC-PO	13.34 ± 16.56	−0.34 ± 14.25	6.4 ± 12.52	0.005	0.003	0.000
VIQ-PIQ	9.92 ± 8.38	−2.83 ± 14.17	10.4 ± 15.88	5.65	0.000	0.000

Note:

a Bonferroni-corrected value.

Abbreviations: MoA, migraine without aura; VIQ, verbal intelligent quotient; PIQ, performance intelligent quotient; FIQ, full intelligent quotient; TTH, tension-type headache; VC, verbal comprehension; PO, perceptual organization.