Comparing Sensory Modulation, Anxiety and Quality of Life Between Children With Primary Headaches and Healthy Peers
Study hypotheses: Children with headaches will show significantly higher sensory reactivity, higher anxiety level and lower quality of life that health controls. Among children with headaches, sensory reactivity will significantly correlate with higher anxiety level and lower quality of life. Among children with headaches quality of life will be predicted by sensory reactivity and anxiety level. Study significance: This is one of the first studies to explore the role of sensory reactivity and its relation to the psychological (anxiety) aspects among children and youth with headaches. Moreover, by using an elaborated point of view this study also measures the interaction between these factors and the child's quality of life. Referring to this interaction is critical for the intervention process in the meaning of: (a) helping determine whether pediatric headaches is best conceptualized as a CNS disorder, an emotional disorder, or some hybrid (b) increasing physicians' recognition of headaches pathogenesis and related outcomes, encouraging physicians to refer in the intake and intervention to both children and parents and when needed - to consider mental health services for child/parents. (c) to illuminate the physiological/psychological factors that have the most significant impact on QOL of children with headaches. Methods: Participants: The sample will include 60 children aged 8-18 years. The study group will include 30 children diagnosed with Primary headache - Migraine or TTH. They will be recruited from the pediatric neurological clinic in Bnai-Zion Health Center. The control group will include 30 children from the community with typical development and no history of chronic headaches or another chronic disease, no ADHD or learning disabilities, matched by age, gender and socio-economic status to the study group. Inclusion criteria for the study group: Children with Primary headaches diagnosed as Migraine or TTH between 8-18 years of age. Exclusion criteria for the sample group Evidence of an inflammatory, anatomic, metabolic, or neoplastic process that explains the subject's symptoms.
Start: August 2014
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