THE HEADACHE IN CHILDREN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS: NEW SYMPTOM OR RISK FACTOR TO POSTTRAUMATIC DISORDER (PTDS) ?

It is long time known that the stress is trigger factor of headache attack. Not forever it’s evident to clear if triggering factor is like or causative factor of one type of secondary headache. The headache attributed to PTDS is showed on the ICHD-II classification on appendix at point - 12.9. Epidemiological data are interesting and there is difference among various traumas ( child abuse, hospitalization , natural catastrophes).[1] [2] Also it’s know that psychiatric disorders on the childhood headache is referred by several Authors on more of 60-70%. Aim of this study is to verify if headache of children just diagnosticated because the child admitted to our headache centre before the 2009 earthquake of L’Aquila could be modified in relationship to trauma of earthquake. The patients were recruited by chronological method. The sample is constituted by 76 patients ( 30 males and 46 females)aged 6-18 years. The children lived on the “ seism crater” . The diagnosis of headache is made according to ICHD-II,2004 criteria. We used following tests: UCLA PTDS test (child, adolescent and parent form), Migraine disability assessment questionnaire (Ped-Midas) and drawing test. RESULTS: Diagnosis of headache is Migraine without aura (MwoutA) on 62% of patients, Tension type headache (TTH) on 20% and Chronic daily headache ( CDH) on 18%. On the basis of Ped-Midas 18% of patients is suffering from minimal headache, 37% light headache, 39% moderate headache and 6% several headache.. The patients are re-examined after 1 year from seism : 39% of patients showed worsening of symptoms ( 79% are migraineurs) 25% showed severe worsening( 100% are migraineurs) and 25% the improvement of headache ( 80% are CDH) during 4-6 months after the seism. The PTDS is diagnosticated as partial on the 65%, on 25% is not present. There is not the correlation between UCLA test and Ped-Midas. Conclusions: The headache is conditioned by intrinsic and environmental factors. The family stress is the factor more important on the headache modification. REFERENCES 1. Feldman JM , Ortega AN , Koinis-Mitchell D , Kuo AA , Canino G .(2010)Child and family psychiatric and psychological factors associated with child physical health problems: results from the Boricua youth study. J Nerv Ment Dis.,198(4):272-9. 2. Sechi E. Atti del seminario: Progetto terra, ambiente bambino , L’Aquila, ottobre 2010