Gray matter decrease in patients with chronic tension type headache

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 65; no. 9; pp. 1483 - 1486
• Main Authors: SCHMIDT-WILCKE, T, LEINISCH, E, STRAUBE, A, KÄMPFE, N, DRAGANSKI, B, DIENER, H. C, BOGDAHN, U, MAY, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 08-11-2005
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Age of Onset; Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - adverse effects; Atrophy - diagnosis; Atrophy - etiology; Atrophy - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiopathology; Brain Mapping; Female; Functional Laterality - physiology; Headache Disorders, Secondary - chemically induced; Headache Disorders, Secondary - diagnosis; Headache Disorders, Secondary - physiopathology; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurology; Predictive Value of Tests; Tension-Type Headache - diagnosis; Tension-Type Headache - physiopathology; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Tryptamines - adverse effects; Tension headache; Human; Chronic; Nervous system diseases
• ISSN: 0028-3878; 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000183067.94400.80

Using MRI and voxel-based morphometry, the authors investigated 20 patients with chronic tension type headache (CTTH) and 20 patients with medication-overuse headache and compared them to 40 controls with no headache history. Only patients with CTTH demonstrated a significant gray matter decrease in regions known to be involved in pain processing. The finding implies that the alterations are specific to CTTH rather than a response to chronic head pain or chronification per se.