Heritability of Cluster Headache
Eur J Neurology 1998;5:343-345
Heritability of cluster headache
Montagna P, Mochi M, Prologo G, Sangiorgi S, Pierangeli G, Cevoli S, Cortelli P
Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Bologna, Italy.
We conducted a pedigree analysis in 222 patients with cluster headaches (CHs) in order to assess a familial predisposition to the disease. Heritability was determined by Falconer’s index (from the incidence of CH among first degree relatives of probands compared with a control population), which varies between 0 and 1 (none or full genetic causation).A positive family history (I/II degree relatives) was found in 2.3% of our CH patients. Three generations were affected in one family and two generations in another two families. The calculated Falconer’s heritability index was, however, only 0.26 +/- 0.25 SD. Our study confirms a higher familial occurrence of CH, some families showing a pattern compatible with autosomal dominant inheritance with reduced penetrance. The low Falconer’s index indicates, however, a large non-genetic causation in most cases of CH.
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Neurology 2001;56:1233-1236
From the Carlo Besta National Neurological Institute (Drs. Leone, Rigamonti, Attanasio, Grazzi, D’Amico, Usai, and Bussone), Milan, Italy; and Department of Neurology (Dr. Russell), Copenhagen University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
The authors studied the occurrence of cluster headache in the families of 220 Italian patients with cluster headache. A positive family history was found in 20% (44/220) of the families. Compared with the general population, first-degree relatives had a 39-fold significantly increased risk of cluster headache. Second-degree relatives had an eightfold significantly increased risk. The increased familial risk strongly supports the hypothesis that cluster headache has a genetic component in some families.
Increased familial risk of cluster headache -- Leone et al. 56 (9) 1233 -- Neurology
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