Pain catastrophizing in patients with chronic migraine.

Abstract

Migraine is a frequent and debilitating primary headache, experienced by approximately 12% of the global population. Pain catastrophizing (PC) is a negative set activated in response to anticipated or actual pain. The anticipatory fear of pain, one of its characteristics, has been associated with a greater prescription and use of analgesics. The presence of PC might be a risk factor for the development of analgesic overuse in patients with chronic migraine.

The aim was to explore the PC in relation to analgesic overuse and the impact of migraine on quality of life in patients with chronic migraine.

An observational cross-sectional analytical study was performed. Patients older than 18 years with chronic migraine were included, who were given anonymously the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the Head Impact Test – 6.

The 86% (89/104) of the patients evaluated belong to the female gender. When comparing the incidence of analgesic overuse among patients with clinical PC levels and those without PC, the probability of analgesic overuse was approximately sixteen times higher in the first group (OR = 16.06; 95% CI = 5.91-43.61; p <0.0001). When comparing the presence of a severe migraine impact in patients with CAD and patients without CAD, the probability of a severe migraine impact is approximately eight times greater in the first group (OR = 8.27; 95% CI = 3.19-21.42; p <0.0001).

Clinical levels of PC in patients with chronic migraine might be associated with a higher incidence of analgesic overuse and a greater headache impact on quality of life.