Cephalalgia. 1998 Jun;18(5):250-6.
Quantitative evaluation of photophobia and phonophobia in cluster headache.
Vingen JV, Pareja JA, Stovner LJ
Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway.
In order to evaluate photophobia and phonophobia in cluster headache (CH), light and sound-induced discomfort and pain thresholds were measured quantitatively in 50 patients and 50 sex-matched and age-matched headache-free controls. During bout (i.e., during the active period with attacks), CH patients were more sensitive to light and sound than controls (p < 0.001). Outside bout they did not differ significantly from controls except for binaural stimulation. Patients were more photophobic and phonophobic during bout than in the remission period (p < or = 0.05). However, for those tested during bout, the sensitivity to light and sound was not related to the presence of pain during test, usual pain intensity, or pain laterality. In response to a questionnaire about their sensitivity, a significantly higher proportion of patients considered themselves sensitive during bout than outside (91% vs 46% for light [chi 2 = 5.9, p < 0.05] and 89% vs 49% for sound [chi 2 = 4.7, p < 0.05]). These results indicate that photophobia and phonophobia are important accompanying phenomena of cluster bouts.
PMID: 9673803
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