MIGRAINE WITHOUT AURA AND REPRODUCTIVE LIFE EVENTS - A CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY IN 1300 WOMEN

A retrospective study was conducted on 1300 women suffering from migra ine without aura referred to the Headache Centers of Parma and Pavia f rom 1984 to 1990. All the data concerning their reproductive life, and the modifications induced by it on the course of headache were obtain ed from record-charts. Migraine frequently started at menarche (10.7%) ; in 60% of cases the migraine attacks occurred mostly or exclusively in the perimenstrual period, in 67% of cases disappeared during pregna ncy, and in 24.1% significantly (P<0.0001) worsened with ''pill' intak e. This study also designated a migraine subgroup which is more influe nced by changes in sexual hormones, i.e. migraine with onset at menarc he. This form of migraine shows more frequently a menstrual periodicit y, and usually improves during pregnancy. Furthermore, menstrual migra ine patients show social and cultural characteristics which distinguis h them from other women.