Poor awareness of migraine is common among patients in several countries, a new study found. The multicenter study was conducted in 12 headache centers in 7 countries with each center recruiting 100 or less patients referred for a first visit and diagnosed with migraine. Participants were given a structured clinical questionnaire-based interview about perceptions of the type of headache they suffer from, its cause, previous diagnoses, investigations, and treatments. Researchers found:
- Of the 1,161 patients who completed the study, 28% of participants were aware they suffer from migraine.
- 64% of participants called their migraine “headache,” less commonly used terms such as “cervical pain,” “tension headache,” and “sinusitis.”
- 8% of general practitioners and 35% of specialists consulted for migraine formulated the correct diagnosis.
Viana M, et al. Poor patient awareness and frequent misdiagnosis of migraine: findings from a large transcontinental cohort. [Published online ahead of print October 1, 2019]. Eur J Neurol. doi: 10.1111/ene.14098.