Aim
Migraine is known to cluster in families and has long been considered a strongly heritable disorder. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between age of onset of pediatric migraine and family history of migraine.
Methods
Review of the medical files of the headache clinic of a tertiary pediatric medical center yielded 344 children with migraine for whom details on migraine in family members were available.
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Results
Mean age of the cohort was 11.69±3.49 years, and mean frequency of headache per month, 13.68±11.26. Mean age at migraine onset in patients with a negative parental history was10.48±3.39 years. Mean age at migraine onset in patients with a history of only paternal migraine was 9.29±3.64 years; with a history of only maternal migraine, 8.85±3.76 years; and with a history of migraine in both parents, 7.31±3.21 years (p=0.0001).The duration of migraine attacks (in hours) was significantly longer in patients with any family member with migraine than in those with no family history(p=0.026).
Conclusions
Among children attending a tertiary pediatric headache clinic, migraine appears at a younger age in those with parental history of migraine relative to those with a negative family history. Anticipation may play a pathogenetic role in migraine.
No conflict of interest.
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