U.S. Soldiers With Concussion and Chronic Daily Headache

A study was conducted on close to 1,000 U.S. soldiers who had sustained a concussion in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Soldiers with chronic daily headache had significantly higher average scores on the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist compared to soldiers with episodic headaches. Eighteen percent of soldiers with episodic headache screened positive for PTSD while 41% of soldiers with chronic daily headache screened positive for it.  The study, which was conducted through the Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington found the prevalence of chronic daily migraine in returning soldiers who had sustained a concussion to be 20% higher than that seen in the general population.  While the link between PTSD and headache is not clear, it is an area that needs further study.  Looking at PTSD in the military today, compared to prior wars and the headaches that followed should also be looked at…..it is possible that PTSD is increased with these current wars, as soldiers are under stress more days per year than in previous wars.  The true incidence of PTSD for WWI and WWII is not known, and even for the Vietnam war it is not all that clear; we have better data for our current wars. …  Headache The Journal of Head and Face Pain  May 2012