Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comorbidity with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Headache and Comorbidities in Childhood and Adolescence

Part of the book series: Headache ((HEAD))

Abstract

Primary headaches and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prevalent in childhood and may cause impairment in social and school functioning. We review the literature and present the results of two populational studies we have conducted in Brazil in order to discuss the possible comorbidity between ADHD with specific headache syndromes or with headache characteristics. The role of methodological aspects is also presented, as well as their influence in the findings of clinical and populational studies. According to our results, we concluded that migraine and ADHD are comorbid and may add to the impact on quality of life, mental health, school performance, and other important outcomes in the lives of children and adolescents. In children with any migraine subtype (migraine overall, episodic migraine, probable migraine, and chronic migraine), ADHD diagnosis was most significantly influenced by frequency of headache attacks, headache severity, nausea during attacks, phonophobia, psychosocial adjustment difficulties, and a below-average school achievement. Providers and educators should be aware of the association. By identifying children with ADHD and comorbid headaches, practitioners will be more capable to offer a complete and holistical therapeutic approach, maximizing the chance for improvement and the outcomes of therapy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Perquin CW, Hazebroek-Kampschreur AA, Hunfeld JA, et al. Pain in children and adolescents: a common experience. Pain. 2000;87(1):51–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Goodman JE, McGrath PJ. The epidemiology of pain in children and adolescents: a review. Pain. 1991;46(3):247–64.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Abu-Arafeh I, Razak S, Sivaraman B, Graham C. Prevalence of headache and migraine in children and adolescents: a systematic review of population-based studies. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2010;52(12):1088–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Arruda M, Bigal M. Migraine and migraine subtypes in preadolescent children: association with school performance. Neurology. 2012;79(18):1881–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Wober-Bingol C, Wober C, Uluduz D, et al. The global burden of headache in children and adolescents—developing a questionnaire and methodology for a global study. J Headache Pain. 2014;15:86.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Powers SW, Patton SR, Hommel KA, Hershey AD. Quality of life in paediatric migraine: characterization of age-related effects using PedsQL 4.0. Cephalalgia. 2004;24(2):120–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Galli F, Canzano L, Scalisi TG, Guidetti V. Psychiatric disorders and headache familial recurrence: a study on 200 children and their parents. J Headache Pain. 2009;10(3):187–97.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Varni JW, Limbers CA, Burwinkle TM. Impaired health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with chronic conditions: a comparative analysis of 10 disease clusters and 33 disease categories/severities utilizing the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2007;5:43.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Guidetti V, Galli F, Fabrizi P, et al. Headache and psychiatric comorbidity: clinical aspects and outcome in an 8-year follow-up study. Cephalalgia. 1998;18(7):455–62.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Guidetti V, Galli F. Psychiatric comorbidity in chronic daily headache: pathophysiology, etiology, and diagnosis. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2002;6(6):492–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Guidetti V, Alberton S, Galli F, Salvi E. Gender, migraine and affective disorders in the course of the life cycle. Funct Neurol. 2009;24(1):29–40.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Vannatta K, Getzoff EA, Powers SW, Noll RB, Gerhardt CA, Hershey AD. Multiple perspectives on the psychological functioning of children with and without migraine. Headache. 2008;48(7):994–1004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Bruijn J, Locher H, Passchier J, Dijkstra N, Arts WF. Psychopathology in children and adolescents with migraine in clinical studies: a systematic review. Pediatrics. 2010;126(2):323–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Anttila P, Sourander A, Metsahonkala L, Aromaa M, Helenius H, Sillanpaa M. Psychiatric symptoms in children with primary headache. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2004;43(4):412–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Virtanen R, Aromaa M, Koskenvuo M, et al. Externalizing problem behaviors and headache: a follow-up study of adolescent Finnish twins. Pediatrics. 2004;114(4):981–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Arruda M, Bigal M. Behavioral and emotional symptoms and primary headaches in children: a population-based study. Cephalalgia. 2012;32(15):1093–100.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Arruda MA, Guidetti V, Galli F, Albuquerque RC, Bigal ME. Migraine, tension-type headache, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood: a population-based study. Postgrad Med. 2010;122(5):18–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Arruda MA, Arruda R, Guidetti V, Bigal ME. Psychosocial adjustment of children with migraine and tension-type headache—a nationwide study. Headache. Feb 2015;55(Suppl 1):39–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. American Psychiatric Association. Task Force on DSM-IV. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Goldman LS, Genel M, Bezman RJ, Slanetz PJ. Diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association. JAMA. 1998;279(14):1100–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Polanczyk G, de Lima MS, Horta BL, Biederman J, Rohde LA. The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: a systematic review and metaregression analysis. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164(6):942–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Arruda MA, Querido CN, Bigal ME, Polanczyk GV. ADHD and mental health status in Brazilian school-age children. J Atten Disord. 2015;19(1):11–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Scahill L, Schwab-Stone M. Epidemiology of ADHD in school-age children. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2000;9(3):541–5, vii.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Faraone SV, Sergeant J, Gillberg C, Biederman J. The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: is it an American condition? World Psychiatry. 2003;2(2):104–13.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Bird HR. Epidemiology of childhood disorders in a cross-cultural context. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1996;37(1):35–49.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Timimi S, Taylor E. ADHD is best understood as a cultural construct. Br J Psychiatry. 2004;184:8–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Organization WH. The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders: clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Polanczyk G, Jensen P. Epidemiologic considerations in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a review and update. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2008;17(2):245–60, vii.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Villa TR, Correa Moutran AR, Sobirai Diaz LA, et al. Visual attention in children with migraine: a controlled comparative study. Cephalalgia. 2009;29(6):631–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Riva D, Usilla A, Aggio F, Vago C, Treccani C, Bulgheroni S. Attention in children and adolescents with headache. Headache. 2012;52(3):374–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Genizi J, Gordon S, Kerem NC, Srugo I, Shahar E, Ravid S. Primary headaches, attention deficit disorder and learning disabilities in children and adolescents. J Headache Pain. 2013;14:54.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Strine TW, Okoro CA, McGuire LC, Balluz LS. The associations among childhood headaches, emotional and behavioral difficulties, and health care use. Pediatrics. 2006;117(5):1728–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Lateef TM, Merikangas KR, He J, et al. Headache in a national sample of American children: prevalence and comorbidity. J Child Neurol. 2009;24(5):536–43.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  34. Mattos P, Serra-Pinheiro MA, Rohde LA, Pinto D. Apresentação de uma versão em português para uso no Brasil do instrumento MTA-SNAP-IV de avaliação de sintomas de transtorno do déficit de atenção/hiperatividade e sintomas de transtorno desafiador e de oposição. Rev Psiquiatr Rio Gd Sul. 2006;28(3):290–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Bordin I, Mari J, Caieiro M. Validation of the Brazilian version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Rev ABP-APAL. 1995;17(2):55–66.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Arruda MA, Arruda R, Guidetti V, Bigal ME. ADHD is comorbid to migraine in childhood: a population-based study. J Atten Disord. 2017 Jun 1:1087054717710767. doi: 10.1177/1087054717710767. [Epub ahead of print].

  37. HCSotIH S. The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalalgia. 2004;24 Suppl 1:9–160.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Queiroz LP, Peres MF, Kowacs F, et al. Chronic daily headache in Brazil: a nationwide population-based study. Cephalalgia. 2008;28(12):1264–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Goodman A, Lamping DL, Ploubidis GB. When to use broader internalising and externalising subscales instead of the hypothesised five subscales on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): data from British parents, teachers and children. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2010;38(8):1179–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Fleitlich B, Goodman R. Social factors associated with child mental health problems in Brazil: cross sectional survey. BMJ. 2001;323(7313):599–600.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Haas DC, Sheehe PR. Dextroamphetamine pilot crossover trials and n of 1 trials in patients with chronic tension-type and migraine headache. Headache. 2004;44(10):1029–37.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Eccleston C, Palermo TM, Williams AC, et al. Psychological therapies for the management of chronic and recurrent pain in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;5:CD003968.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Fisher E, Law E, Palermo TM, Eccleston C. Psychological therapies (remotely delivered) for the management of chronic and recurrent pain in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;14:2014.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Evans SW, Owens JS, Bunford N. Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2014;43(4):527–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Chan E, Fogler JM, Hammerness PG. Treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adolescents: a systematic review. JAMA. 2016;315(18):1997–2008.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Neurologist, Glia Institute, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil

    Marco A. Arruda M.D., Ph.D

  2. Neurologist, Teva Pharmaceuticals Research and Development, Frazer, PA, USA

    Marcelo Eduardo Bigal M.D., Ph.D

Authors
  1. Marco A. Arruda M.D., Ph.D
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marcelo Eduardo Bigal M.D., Ph.D
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marco A. Arruda M.D., Ph.D .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Vincenzo Guidetti

  2. University of São Paulo , Neuropsychiatry, Glia Institute , Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    Marco A. Arruda

  3. Neurology, Algology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Mersin University School of Medicine, Mersin, Adana, Turkey

    Aynur Ozge

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Arruda, M.A., Bigal, M.E. (2017). Comorbidity with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In: Guidetti, V., Arruda, M., Ozge, A. (eds) Headache and Comorbidities in Childhood and Adolescence. Headache. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54726-8_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54726-8_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54725-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54726-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation