Demographics
The mean age of the 127 patients was 40 years (SD 12.9) and 46.5% were female. One hundred fifteen patients (90.6%) were employed or full-time students before trauma. Ground-level falls were the most frequent cause for TBI (33%); 24 patients (18.9%) were under influence of alcohol at the time of the trauma, according to patient records.
The following minor traumatic brain lesions were found in MRI: 48 patients (37.0%): any traumatic intracranial lesion, acute subdural hemorrhage in 20 patients (15.7%), small epidural hematoma in 1 patient, traumatic subarachnoidal hemorrhage in 19 patients (12.6%), traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in 5 patients (3.1%), and microhemorrhages indicating diffuse axonal injury in 26 patients (20.5%), and minor cerebral contusion in 14 patients (11.0%).
Patients with aPTH
At one month, 77/127 (61%) patients reported aPTH. Patient demographics for patients with aPTH and non-PTH are shown in Table 1.
Table 1
Patient demographics in aPTH and non-PTH patients one month after injury.
Variable | aPTH | | Non-PTH | | aPTH vs. non-PTH |
| Valid n | | Valid n | | p value |
Female sex, n (%) | 77 | 36 (46.8) | 50 | 23 (46.0) | 0.934 |
Age in years, mean (SD) | 77 | 41.2 (13.9) | 50 | 37.5 (11.3) | 0.110 |
Education in years, mean (SD) | 77 | 15.6 (4.4) | 50 | 16.1 (3.3) | 0.516 |
Previous migraine, n (%) | 77 | 18 (23.4) | 49 | 3 (6.1) | 0.011 |
Previous other headache, n /(%) | 77 | 35 ( 45.5) | 49 | 17 (34.7) | 0.232 |
Previous depression, n (%) | 55 | 6 (10.9) | 36 | 5 (13.9) | 0.747 |
Previous insomnia, n (%) | 77 | 31 (40.3) | 50 | 10 (20.0) | 0.017 |
Previous use of analgesic drug, n (%) | 77 | 15 (19.5) | 50 | 6 (12.0) | 0.268 |
Traumatic lesion in MRI, n (%) | 77 | 27 (35.1) | 50 | 20 (40.0) | 0.574 |
Wounding skull/face, n (%) | 76 | 65 (85.5) | 50 | 45 (90.0) | 0.461 |
PTA at ED, n (%) | 77 | 66 (85.7) | 50 | 44 (88.0) | 0.712 |
TLOC, n (%) | 77 | 53 (68.8) | 50 | 33 (66.0) | 0.739 |
Headache at ED, n (%) | 77 | 74 (96.1) | 49 | 39 (78.0) | 0.003 |
RPQ median (IQR) | 66 | 13 (6.75-19.00) | 43 | 4 (1.00-9.00) | <0.001 |
Other pain after injury, n (%) | 76 | 47 (61.0) | 49 | 16 (32.0) | 0.001 |
Insomnia after injury, n (%) | 77 | 47 (61.0) | 50 | 13 (26.0) | <0.001 |
Vertigo after injury, n (%) | 77 | 45 (58.4) | 50 | 9 (18.0) | <0.001 |
Continuous variables: one-way ANOVA; dichotomous variables: Pearson Chi–square test. |
aPTH, acute post-traumatic headache; non-PTH, no post-traumatic headache; PTA, post-traumatic amnesia (retro- and/or anterograde); ED, emergency department; LOC, loss of consciousness; RPQ, The Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire |
Patients with aPTH had previous migraine (p=0.033) and insomnia (p=0.017) significantly more often than non-PTH patients. There was no difference in frequency of trauma findings between aPTH and non-PTH patients. (Table 1)
Patients with aPTH reported headache significantly more often at the emergency department (ED) than non-PTH patients (p=0.003). The median RPQ) score at one month postinjury was significantly higher in aPTH than non-PTH patients (p < 0.001). (Table 1)
In multiple logistic regression analysis, headache at the ED (p=0.029), other pain (p=0.010), insomnia (p=0.010), and vertigo (p <0.001) were independent risk factors for aPTH (Table 2).
Table 2
Logistic regression analysis of the risk factors of acute post-traumatic headache.
Factor | Odds ratio | 95% Cl | P value |
n=127 | | | |
Headache at the ED | 5.42 | 1.19-24.73 | 0.029 |
Other pain after injury | 3.20 | 1.31-7.78 | 0.010 |
Insomnia after injury | 3.23 | 1.33-7.89 | 0.010 |
Vertigo after injury | 5.99 | 2.33-15.40 | <0.001 |
ED, emergency department; Cl, Confidence Intervals |
Patients with pPTH
17/77 of aPTH patients (22%) developed pPTH. The mean age of pPTH patients was 44.3 years (SD 12.8) with 47% women. Previous self-reported migraine was in 3/17 of pPHT patients (18%), previous other headache in 8/17 (47%), and previous insomnia in 7/17 (41%). Trauma findings in MRI were detected in 10/17 (59%) of pPTH patients.
In comparison between pPTH (n=17) and r-aPTH (n=43) patients, no statistically significant differences were found in demographic or clinical characteristics (Table 3) including insomnia after injury (77% vs 51%, p=0.073), trauma findings in MRI (59% vs 33%, p=0.061), and previous migraine (18% vs 26%, p=0.737).
Table 3
Patient demographics and characteristics in patients with persistent and recovered-acute post-traumatic headache three months after injury.
Variable | pPTH | | r-aPTH | | pPTH vs. r-aPTH |
| Valid n | | Valid n | | P value |
Female sex, n (%) | 17 | 8 (47.1) | 43 | 21 (48.8) | 0.901 |
Age in years, mean (SD) | 17 | 44.3 (12.8) | 43 | 42.2 (14.6) | 0.604 |
Education in years, mean (SD) | 17 | 16.4 (3.9) | 43 | 15.9 (4.9) | 0.722 |
Previous migraine, n (%) | 17 | 3 (17.6) | 43 | 11 (25.6) | 0.737 |
Previous other headache, n (%) | 17 | 8 (47.1) | 43 | 17 (39.5) | 0.594 |
Previous depression, n (%) | 17 | 2 (11.8) | 37 | 4 (10.8) | 1.000 |
Previous insomnia, n (%) | 17 | 7 (41.2) | 43 | 15 (34.9) | 0.649 |
Previous use of analgesic drug, n (%) | 17 | 3 (17.6) | 43 | 8 (18.6) | 1.000 |
Traumatic lesion in MRI, n (%) | 17 | 10 (58.8) | 43 | 14 (32.6) | 0.061 |
Wounding skull/face, n (%) | 17 | 15 (88.2) | 42 | 36 (85.7) | 1.000 |
PTA at ED, n (%) | 17 | 13 (76.5) | 43 | 38 (88.4) | 0.256 |
TLOC, n(%) | 17 | 10 (58.8) | 43 | 31 (72.1) | 0.319 |
Headache at ED, n (%) | 17 | 17 (100) | 43 | 41 (95.3) | 1.000 |
RPQ median at three months (IQR) | 17 | 21 (12.00-26.50) | 43 | 2 (0.00-7.00) | <0.001 |
Other pain after injury, n(%) | 17 | 9 (56.3) | 43 | 29 (67.4) | 0.425 |
Insomnia after injury, n (%) | 17 | 13 (76.5) | 43 | 22 (51.2) | 0.073 |
Vertigo after injury, n (%) | 17 | 8 (47.1) | 43 | 25 (58.1) | 0.437 |
Continuous variables: one-way ANOVA; dichotomous variables: Pearson Chi–square test. |
pPTH, persistent post-traumatic headache; aPTH, acute post-traumatic headache; PTA, post-traumatic amnesia (retro- and/or anterograde); ED, emergency department; TLOC, transient loss of consciousness; RPQ, The Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire score; IQR, Interquartile range |
When comparing pPTH with non-PTH (n=40) patients, differences were more pronounced. Non-PTH patients were younger (mean age 36.5 years, p=0.026), and pPTH patients reported insomnia after injury significantly more often than non-PTH patients (76.5% vs 22.5%, p<0.001).
In three-month follow-up RPQ scores, even when headache was excluded from the total score, pPTH patients had significantly more concomitant symptoms compared with r-aPTH and non-PTH patients. The median RPQ score of pPTH patients was 21 (IQR 12.00-26.5), which was significantly higher compared with r-aPTH and non-PTH patients, both of which had a median RPQ score of 2 (IQR 0.00-7.0), p <0.001.
In multiple logistic regression analysis comparing pPTH with non-PTH patients, older age (OR 1.06, 95% Cl 1.01-1.13, p=0.034) and insomnia after injury (OR 12.3, 95% Cl 2.79-54.13, p=0.001) were independent risk factors for pPTH.
At one year, 4 patients (24% of pPTH patients) still suffered from headache.
Psychiatric profile
In SCID-I interviews, psychiatric disorders were diagnosed in 7/17 (41%) of pPTH, 8/35 (22%) of aPTH, and 7/35 (20%) of non-PTH patients. The distribution of different psychiatric disorders did not differ between groups. The most common disorders were acute and current depression, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
Return to work
RTW at three months was documented for all patients who were either employed or full-time students before trauma (n=91, including 6 students).
At three months, pPTH and r-aPTH patients differed significantly in the rate of return to full-time work (69% vs 94%, p=0.025). Similar difference was found between pPTH and non-PTH patients (69% vs 93%, p=0.035) (Table 4). At 12 months follow-up, all except one patient with pPTH had returned to work.
Table 4
Return to work at three months, comparison between pPTH and r-aPTH patients and between pPTH and non-PTH patients.
Variable | pPTH n=16 n (%) | r-aPTH n=35 n (%) | p value (pPTH vs aPTH) | Non-PTH n=40 n (%) | p value (pPTH vs non-PTH) |
Full RTW | 11 (68.8) | 33 (94.3) | 0.025 | 37 (92.5) | 0.035 |
Partial RTW | 3 (18.8) | 0 | 0.027 | 3 (18.8) | 0.338 |
Any RTW * | 14 (87.5) | 33 (94.3) | 0.581 | 40 (100) | 0.078 |
Dichotomous variables: Pearson Chi–square test. |
* Including both full- and partial RTW |
r-aPTH, recovered acute post-traumatic headache; pPTH, persistent post-traumatic headache; RTW, return to work. |
Characteristics of headache in pPTH patients
Three out of 17 pPTH patients reported migraine-like headache: it was pulsating, severe, unilateral, and aggravated by physical activity, and rest eased the pain. In addition, concurrent nausea and sensitivity to light occurred. One pPTH patient with migraine-like headache also had tension-type headache. Four of 17 patients reported tension-type headache: the headache was blunt, pressure-type, waved, and rose from the neck to the whole head. There was no sensitivity to sound or light and no nausea or vomiting. One patient of 17 reported facial pain that resembled trigeminal neuralgia. 4/17 patients reported auditory symptoms such as tinnitus or buzz-like sounds and 8/17 patients reported sensitivity to light.