Do learning handicaps and headache cluster?

Abstract

Children who are brought to medical attention because of frequently recurring or disabling headaches appear to have an increased prevalence of learning handicaps. Some of this increase might reflect Berkson's principle--the selection bias of an overrepresentation of patients with two disorders. Consideration is given to five models that show a relationship between learning handicap and headache. Two of the models are dismissed as too simple. Studies are needed to determine whether learning handicap and headache are indeed associated, and, if so, how. Clinicians are advised not to wait until these studies have been completed before implementing therapeutic programs that might prove helpful to those children with both headache and learning handicap.