A recent study was conducted to characterize menstrually associated headaches and migraine in adolescent girls and to identify any developmental or pubertal changes. Headache and migraine are a common problem in adolescents that often transition into a more structured pattern in adulthood. One pattern of the adult migraine is the menstrual association in a significant number of women.
The study was conducted by a retrospective analysis of the characterisitcs of adolescent’s headaches, including association with menstrual pattern. A detailed analysis of patient and parent reported headache characterisitics and patterns of longitudinal change with development and puberty was reviewed, including timing of headache with age and menstrual period and progression of these events over adolescence.
Results of the study demonstrated that menstrual association with migraine begins in adolescence. Once the menstrual pattern has developed, this association is stable. Early identification of this pattern has potential long-term benefit for improved lifelong outcome with migraine treatment.