• Shuu-Jiun Wang, Po-Jen Wang, Jong-Ling Fuh, Kuan-Po Peng, and Kwong Ng.
• Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. sjwang@vghtpe.gov.tw
• Cephalalgia. 2013 Feb 1;33(3):171-81.

BackgroundThe International Burden of Migraine Study (IBMS) showed chronic migraine (CM) was associated with a higher disease burden than episodic migraine (EM). However, in this study Asians with CM were underrepresented. Objectives We investigated if CM and EM differed in headache-related disability, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health care resource utilization in Taiwan.MethodsThis study recruited patients with EM and CM from two headache clinics in Taiwan. Diagnosis was made by physicians based on Silberstein-Lipton criteria. Participants completed a questionnaire including sociodemographics, Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), EuroQol five-dimensions (EQ-5D), Migraine-Specific Quality of Life v2.1 (MSQ), Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), productivity and health care resource utilization.ResultsA total of 331 patients (EM, n = 164 (49.5%); CM, n = 167 (50.5%)) completed the study. CM patients reported a significantly higher MIDAS score, lower generic (EQ-5D visual analogue scale score and EQ-5D index score) and migraine-specific (all three domains of MSQ) HRQoL, higher levels of anxiety and depression (PHQ-4 ≥ 6) and greater health care resource utilization and productivity loss than those with EM. Positive correlations were found between these instruments and levels of anxiety and depression.ConclusionCompared to EM, CM was significantly associated with higher disability, lower HRQoL and greater health care resource utilization and productivity loss.

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