Search

A comprehensive study of cerebral hemodynamics and microcirculation was made in 261 patients complaining for headache. Clinical-diagnostic criteria for headache of vascular origin, a scheme of vascular headache pathogenesis are proposed. It was found that the first to appear were negative alterations in the venous microcirculation. Neurophysiological methods with functional loading tests for objectivation of vascular cerebral defects at early stages and in the follow-up proved diagnostically effective.

Using the method of rheoencephalography 182 children aged 8 to 16 years and suffering from functional headaches were examined. With regard to the clinical criteria they were divided into two groups: patients with migraine, and those with vasomotor headache. The control group consisted of 345 clinically healthy children of the same age. The standardized program included examinations in the prone, sedentary, and standing positions, as well as after hyperventilation and the orthostatic test (up to 10 minutes). Because of the wide range of the scatter of the amplitude parameters intraindividual relative values were calculated that reflected the vascular system response to hyperventilation and orthostasis. In the group of children with the vasomotor headaches the curve parameters differed substantially from the respective parameters found in the control group, and in some parameters there were also differences from the migraine group. During the intervals between the headache attacks, the differences in the parameters between the migraine and control groups were less distinct. The two forms of the headache can be differentiated with the aid of functional rheoencephalography.