The Headache Symptom Questionnaire: Discriminant classificatory ability and headache syndromes suggested by a factor analysis

Authors

• John G. Arena, State University of New York Albany
• Edward B. Blanchard, State University of New York Albany
• Frank Andrasik, State University of New York Albany
• Bruce C. Dudek, State University of New York Albany

Abstract

A brief Headache Symptom Questionnaire was administered to 129 chronic headache Sufferers. The questionnaire accurately classified 68.42% of headache subjects in their proper diagnostic category, comparable to, but statistically less accurate than, the 86.4% agreement between expert headache diagnosticians using clinical interviews. Results of a factor analysis of the Headache Symptom Questionnaire lend support for their being two commonly accepted global headache categories-vascular/migraine and muscle contraction-and one headache dimension concerned with duration of headache pain. Combined migraine-muscle contraction headache was found to be related more to migraine than to muscle contraction headache, and cluster headaches emerged as a separate clinical entity, not loading positively on any factor and loading negatively on all three. © 1982 Plenum Publishing Corporation.

Publication Title

Journal of Behavioral Assessment

Recommended Citation

Arena, J., Blanchard, E., Andrasik, F., & Dudek, B. (1982). The Headache Symptom Questionnaire: Discriminant classificatory ability and headache syndromes suggested by a factor analysis. Journal of Behavioral Assessment, 4 (1), 55-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321382