Russian Scientists Develop New Criteria for ‘Sentinel Headache’ to Tackle Stroke

New research conducted by Russian scientists has allowed them to check the accuracy of the current diagnostic criteria for stroke-related pain in the head, which is part of the International Classification of Headache Disorders.

Persistent headaches being a symptom of a serious disease is certainly an open secret for many, who are also probably in the know that such aches may be a sign of an ensuing stroke.

Medics say that in this regard, paying attention to the character of a headache is of paramount importance to hammering out preventive measures to avoid an ischemic stroke.

Have you ever thought about what kind of a headache you have, if any? The International Classification of Headache Disorders sheds light on this, but Russian scientists have gone further and developed new criteria for diagnosing a headache that signals a person may be suffering from a stroke.

Significantly, scientists from the Ural State Medical University and the Ural Federal University have for the first time in the world worked out new criteria for a so-called sentinel headache, which typically precedes an ischemic stroke in one third of patients.

The researchers conducted a study to observe the condition of two groups of patients, including those suffering from their first stroke and those who did not have any neurological disorders.

The study helped the researchers identify three types of headache, such as an ache that was already known to patients, an ache of a new type, and another one with a change in its characteristics.

The results showed that about 55% of patients from the first group felt a headache of a new type, while another 35% suffered from familiar pain in the head, but with noticeable changes.

The researchers stressed that the study made it possible for them to check out the accuracy of the most current version of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD), which was published in 2018.

“It turned out that only in 60% of cases the headaches that occurred during a stroke met these ICHD diagnostic criteria. This meant that the criteria probably need to be revised”, Denis Gilev, Associate Professor of the Ural Federal University’s Department of Economics, told the Russian news outlet Gazeta.ru, referring to the study.