Headache scales

24-Hour Migraine Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQoLQ)

Main reference: Santanello NC, Hartmaier SL, Epstein RS, Silberstein SD. Validation of a new quality of life questionnaire for acute migraine headache. Headache 35:330–337, 1995.

Type: Patient completed questionnaire.

Main indications: Used to assess the change of the quality of life associated with an acute attack of migraine in the 24 hours after the onset of headache.

Rating performed by: Patients (by self-administered questionnaire).

Time period covered by scale: The 24 hours after the onset of the headache in an acute attack of migraine.

Time required to complete rating: 10 minutes or less.

Remarks: Assesses 15 items across five domains, with three items in each domain. The domains (and the items in them) are:

• Work functioning (ability to do normal everyday work, ability to operate machinery or a motor vehicle, ability to stay alert)
• Social functioning (interactions with people who are close to you, interactions with other people, ability to enjoy life)
• Energy/vitality (energy level, ability to have a good night’s sleep, mood)
• Migraine symptoms (throbbing head pain, increased sensitivity to light and/or noise, nausea)
• Feelings/concerns (feel upset about having migraine headaches, feel physically uncomfortable, feel concern that your migraine medication wouldn’t relieve symptoms)

Each item is scored on a seven-point scale, where 1 indicates maximum impairment of quality of life and 7 indicates no impairment. Limited psychometric evaluation.

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Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI)

Main reference: Jacobson GP, Ramadan HM, Aggarwal SK, Newman CW. The Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory. Neurology 44:837–842, 1994.

Type: Patient questionnaire.

Main indications: Identification of emotional and functional difficulties experienced because of headaches. Has been used to assess change over time.

Rating performed by: Patients (by self-administered questionnaire).

Time period covered by scale: The present.

Time required to complete rating: 10 minutes or less.

Remarks: Assesses 25 items on two subscales (an emotional subscale – 13 items, and a functional subscale – 12 items). The items are presented as statements to which the patient must answer one of "yes", "sometimes", or "no".