A Comparison of Headache Assessment via Digital Platform in United States (HeAD-US) and American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Studies: Baseline Demographics and Headache Characteristics
Ali Ezzati1, Kristina Fanning2, Alexandre Urani3, Francois Cadiou3, Richard Lipton4
1Neurology, University of California, Irvine, 2Mist Research, 3Healint, 4Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Objective:
To compare the baseline characteristics of the Headache Assessment via a Digital platform in United States (HeAD-US) and the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) studies.
Background:
The HeAD-US is a new, ongoing longitudinal cohort study of patients with migraine in US, centered around comprehensive data collection via Migraine Buddy’s platform, a smartphone app. The AMPP, sent mailed questionnaires to a representative US panel.
Design/Methods:
Both studies used the American Migraine Study/AMPP diagnostic module to assess headache features. Episodic migraine (EM; <15 headache days/month) and chronic migraine (CM; ≥15 headache days/month) cases were identified based on the ICHD criteria. We compare the baseline findings of AMPP and HeAD-US studies, considering demographics, headache features, and disability measured by the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS).
Results:
In the AMPP, 65.1% (N=12,043) of sample, and in the HeAD-US, 91.7% (N=5961) of sample met the criteria for migraine based on the ICHD-3 diagnostic criteria. The HeAD-US panel was younger (HeAD-US: 40.8±12.8 vs AMPP: 46.4±13.8, p<0.001), had more women (HeAD-US: 90.3% vs AMPP: 79.9%, p <0.001), and more non-white (HeAD-US: 15.9% vs AMPP: 12.4%, p<0.001). The proportion of persons with migraine who had CM was higher in HeAD-US (HeAD-US: 36%, AMPP: 6.6%, p<0.001). Average Monthly headache day frequency was higher in HeAD-US for EM (HeAD-US, 6.1±3.5; AMPP, 3.0±2.8), but lower for CM (HeAD-US: 20.9±5.4 vs AMPP: 22.1±5.3). Severe disability (Grade-IV) based on MIDAS scores were substantially higher in HeAD-US for both CM (HeAD-US: 93.9% vs AMPP: 67.3%, p<0.001) and EM(HeAD-US: 69.2% vs AMPP: 13.2%, p<0.001). In both studies more women than men experienced severe disability (AMPP: Women=17.4% vs Men=14.1%, p<0.001; HeAD-US: Women=78.4% vs Men=74.4%, p<0.039).
Conclusions:
The HeAD-US and AMPP are large migraine studies with distinct methods for recruitment and data collection. Not surprisingly, HeAD-US participants have higher rates of CM and headache-related disability.