PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Roper, Louise
AU  - Nightingale, Peter
AU  - Su, Zhangjie
AU  - Belli, Antonio
AU  - Sinclair, Alexandra
TI  - DISABILITY FROM POST-TRAUMATIC HEADACHE IS COMPOUNDED BY PTSD
AID  - 10.1136/jnnp-2016-315106.72
DP  - 2016 Dec 01
TA  - Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
PG  - e1--e1
VI  - 87
IP  - 12
4099  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/87/12/e1.210.short
4100  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/87/12/e1.210.full
SO  - J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry2016 Dec 01; 87
AB  - Background Post-traumatic headache (PTH) occurs in up to 82% of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in 39% of those with TBI. This study evaluates whether PTSD affects PTH disability.Methods 151 consecutive patients with TBI were evaluated from a secondary care trauma centre. Headache disability was assessed using the Headache Impact Test version 6 (HIT 6) and PTSD using PTSD Check List Civilian version (PCL-C).Results In patients with chronic PTH, increased PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with increased headache disability (p<0.001), as were employment status and loss of consciousness (p=0.049 and 0.016, respectively). Age was negatively correlated with headache disability (Spearman's correlation −0.361, p=0.001).Conclusion Increased PTSD severity is significantly associated with increased headache disability in patients with chronic PTH. Managing PTSD in patients with chronic PTH may facilitate headache management.