Frequency of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with cervicogenic headache

Background: Both primary and secondary headaches have been associated with cognitive dysfunction and depression. Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of cervicogenic headache on cognitive function, quality of life and mood. Methods: This single-center, cross-sectional comparative study includes 30 patients diagnosed with cervicogenic headache by a neurologist and 30 healthy controls. The pain level of the participants was evaluated with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), their mood with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, their quality of life with the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and their cognitive status by a psychologist with the Standard Mini Mental Test (SMMT) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). Results: All MoCA domains except for orientation and the SMMT scores were significantly lower in the cervicogenic headache group compared to the control group (p< 0,05). In addition, scores for the pain catastrophizing scale and selected SF-36 sub-parameters (physical function, physical role difficulty, social functionality, pain and general health perception) were significantly lower in the cervicogenic headache group (p< 0,05). The Beck Depression Inventory score was significantly higher in patients with cervicogenic headache than in the control group (p=0.018). Conclusion: Patients with cervicogenic headache exhibit worse cognitive performance during their headache. Additionally, compared to healthy controls, they had higher rates of depression and pain catastrophizing as well as a lower quality of life.