European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies
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Previous studies dealing with pressure pain sensitivity or muscle tenderness in migraine have shown conflicting results. Our aim was to explore the differences in mechanical pain sensitivity and pericranial muscle tenderness between patients with unilateral migraine and healthy controls, and to analyse side-to-side differences in both study groups. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) at cephalic and neck points, plus local and total tenderness scores were blindly assessed in 25 patients with strictly unilateral migraine and 25 healthy subjects. ⋯ In migraine patients, PPT levels and muscle tenderness scores were negatively correlated (P < 0.001). The enhancement of local tenderness scores was related to hyperesthesia of specific muscles (sternocleidomastoid, suboccipital, and temporalis) rather than a generalized pericranial tenderness. Future studies should investigate the neuro-physiological basis for the laterality of allodynic and hyperalgesic responses in unilateral migraine.