Family History of Migraine Associated With Posttraumatic Migraine Symptoms Following Sport-Related Concussion.
Alicia Sufrinko, Jamie McAllister-Deitrick, R J Elbin and 2 others
PMID 28520665WHAT IT FOUND
Teen athletes with a family history of migraine were more likely to have posttraumatic migraine symptoms within two weeks: 57% versus 33%.
Family history alone did not predict worse thinking or dizziness screening results.
Key findings
01Among analysed athletes, 57% of those with family history of migraine met criteria for posttraumatic migraine, compared with 33% of those without, and they were 2.6 times more likely to present with posttraumatic migraine symptoms in the first two weeks.
02After controlling for concussion history, athletes with posttraumatic migraine performed worse on verbal memory, visual memory, visual motor speed and reaction time composites, while family history of migraine itself had no significant main effect.
03Athletes with posttraumatic migraine reported more symptoms on vestibular/ocular motor screening domains, except near point convergence distance, while family history of migraine itself had no significant main effect.
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective and recruited from a specialty concussion clinic, so it may over-represent more severe injuries. The posttraumatic migraine rate was high compared with other studies. Complete data were available for 66% (153/232) of eligible participants. Missing data occurred for family history (n=27) and incomplete VOMS (n=41), which may bias the sample. Family history and migraine diagnoses were self-reported and could not be confirmed. Athletes with personal history of migraine were excluded. Posttraumatic migraine was defined using symptom responses rather than requiring headache, nausea and light or sound sensitivity to occur together. The study could not separate the effects of family history from personal history of migraine because personal history was rare. The sample was predominantly white, and race or ethnicity was not collected, so findings may not generalise to other populations. Other conditions such as mental health history were not included or controlled for.
Declared interests
The paper lists NIH extramural research support. No author conflicts declaration is provided in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that family history of migraine causes worse concussion outcomes. It was associated with more posttraumatic migraine symptoms, but family history alone did not predict worse neurocognitive or vestibular screening scores.