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Adverse childhood experiences linked to frequent headache in adults

Date:
June 23, 2010
Source:
American Headache Society
Summary:
Children who experience maltreatment such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse are more likely to experience frequent headaches, including chronic migraine, as adults, say scientists.
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Children who experience maltreatment such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse are more likely to experience frequent headaches, including chronic migraine, as adults, say scientists presenting data at the American Headache Society's 52nd Annual Scientific Meeting in Los Angeles.

Using data from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study of 17,337 adult members of the Kaiser Health Plan in San Diego, Gretchen E. Tietjen, MD, of the University of Toledo College Of Medicine, and her team found that the number of ACEs showed a graded relationship to the likelihood of experiencing frequent headaches. Her study was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We looked at eight ACEs -- emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence, growing up with mental illness in the home, having household members who were incarcerated or were abusing drugs, and experiencing parental separation or divorce,." said Dr. Tietjen. "Each ACE increased the chance of frequent headache, and as the number of ACEs increased, so did the risk of frequent headache. This 'dose-response' relationship' suggests that ACEs may contribute to the development and frequency of severe headaches later in life."

"Earlier studies have linked childhood maltreatment to frequent headaches and migraine," said David Dodick, M.D., president of the AHS. "The biological underpinnings of this relationship should be a target of future research and clinicians should be aware of and evaluate for this important relationship in order to facilitate appropriate management strategies"


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American Headache Society. "Adverse childhood experiences linked to frequent headache in adults." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 June 2010. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085518.htm>.
American Headache Society. (2010, June 23). Adverse childhood experiences linked to frequent headache in adults. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085518.htm
American Headache Society. "Adverse childhood experiences linked to frequent headache in adults." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085518.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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