• Marina de Tommaso, Vittorio Sciruicchio, Marianna Delussi, Eleonora Vecchio, Marvita Goffredo, Michele Simeone, and Maria Grazia Foschino Barbaro.
• Applied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, Basic Medical, Neuroscience and Sensory System Department, Bari Aldo Moro University, Giovanni XXIII Building, Policlinico General Hospital, Via Amendola 207, A 70124, Bari, Italy. marina.detommaso@uniba.it.
• J Headache Pain. 2017 Dec 1; 18 (1): 59.

BackgroundCentral sensitization is an important epiphenomenon of the adult migraine, clinically expressed by allodynia, pericranial tenderness and comorbidity for fibromyalgia in a relevant number of patients. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and the clinical characteristics of allodynia, pericranial tenderness, and comorbidity for Juvenile Fibromialgia (JFM) in a cohort of migraine children selected in a tertiary headache center.MethodsThis was an observational cross-sectional study on 8-15 years old migraine patients. Allodynia was assessed by a questionnaire. Pericranial tenderness and comorbidity for JFM as well as their possible association with poor quality of life and migraine related disability, and with other clinical symptoms as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and pain catastrophizing, were also evaluated.ResultsOne hundred and fifty one patients were selected, including chronic migraine (n°47), migraine without aura (n° 92) and migraine with aura (n° 12) sufferers. Allodynia was reported in the 96,6% and pericranial tenderness was observed in the 68.8% of patients. Pericranial tenderness was more severe in patients with more frequent migraine and shorter sleep duration. Allodynia seemed associated with anxiety, pain catastrophizing and high disability scores. Comorbidity for JFM was present in the 0.03% ofpatients. These children presented with a severe depression and a significant reduction of quality of life as compared to the other patients.ConclusionsThis study outlined a relevant presence of symptoms of central sensitization among children with migraine. Severe allodynia and comorbidity for JFM seemed to cause a general decline of quality of life, which would suggest the opportunity of a routine assessment of these clinical features.

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