Surface Electromyography in Patients with Tension - Type Headache and Normal Healthy Subjects

KAMONTIP HARNPHADUNGKIT, M.D.*, VORAPUN SENANARONG, M.D.**, NIPHON POUNGVA RIN, M.D., F.R.C.P.**

Affiliation : * Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, ** Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.

AbstractHeadache is one of the most common medical symptoms and tension - type ~eadache is the most common form. Pericranial muscles have been invoked as a source of nociception among patients with tension - type headache. This study was performed to determine surface electromyo graphy (EMG) as representative of the electrical activity of pericranial muscles in tension - type headache and normal subjects during rest and mental calculation. Surface EMG recordings were performed in 20 normal subjects (age 33.9 ± 8.9 years) and 20 tension - type headache patients (34.5 ± 9.4 years) using electroencephalograph during the initial rest period for 5 minutes, during mental calculation for 2 minutes and 3 minutes of the rest period. Surface EMG was scored as discharge score (DS) at the third, sixth and ninth minute. The DS at each minute studied showed that the headache group had higher electrical activity than the normal group and increased EMG activity during mental stress was found in the headache group.

Keywords : Electromyography, Tension Headache, Healthy Subject

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