Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34537019›Full record

Observational studyThe journal of headache and pain2021

Osmophobia in primary headache patients: associated symptoms and response to preventive treatments.

Marianna Delussi, Anna Laporta, Ilaria Fraccalvieri, Marina de Tommaso

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in The journal of headache and pain, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Headache in the elderly: a retrospective study in a tertiary headache center.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Article
  2. Sensory processing in medically unexplained pain syndrome. A systematic review.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marianna DelussiApplied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, SMBNOS Department, Aldo Moro University, Bari, Italy.
Anna LaportaApplied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, SMBNOS Department, Aldo Moro University, Bari, Italy.
Ilaria FraccalvieriApplied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, SMBNOS Department, Aldo Moro University, Bari, Italy.
Marina de TommasoApplied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, SMBNOS Department, Aldo Moro University, Bari, Italy. marina.detommaso@uniba.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6567-5373
University of Bari Aldo Moro · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOsmophobia, is common among primary headaches, with prevalence of migraine. The study aimed to evaluate prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with osmophobia in a cohort of primary headache patients selected at a tertiary headache center. The second aim was to verify the possible predicting role of osmophobia in preventive treatment response in a sub cohort of migraine patients.

methodsThis was an observational retrospective cohort study based on data collected in a tertiary headache center. We selected patients aged 18-65 years, diagnosed as migraine without aura (MO), migraine with aura (MA) or Chronic Migraine (CM), Tension-Type Headache (TTH); and Cluster Headache (CH). We also selected a sub-cohort of migraine patients who were prescribed preventive treatment, according to Italian Guidelines, visited after 3 months follow up. Patients were considered osmophobic, if reported this symptom in at least the 20% of headache episodes. Other considered variables were: headache frequeny, the migraine disability assessment (MIDAS), Allodynia Symptom Checklist, Self-rating Depression scale, Self-rating Anxiety scale, Pain intensity evaluated by Numerical Rating Scale-NRS- form 0 to 10.

resultsThe 37,9% of patients reported osmophobia (444 patients with osmophobia, 726 without osmophobia). Osmophobia prevailed in patients with the different migraine subtypes, and was absent in patients with episodic tension type headache and cluster headache (chi square 68.7 DF 7 p < 0.0001). Headache patients with osmophobia, presented with longer hedache duration (F 4.91 p 0.027; more severe anxiety (F 7.56 0.007), depression (F 5.3 p 0.019), allodynia (F 6 p 0.014), headache intensity (F 8.67 p 0.003). Tension type headache patients with osmophobia (n° 21), presented with more frequent headache and anxiety. A total of 711 migraine patients was visited after 3 months treatment. The change of main migraine features was similar between patients with and without osmophobia.

conclusionsWhile the present study confirmed prevalence of osmophobia in migraine patients, it also indicated its presence among chronic tension type headache cases, marking those with chronic headache and anxiety. Osmophobia was associated to symptoms of central sensitization, as allodynia. It was not relevant to predict migraine evolution after first line preventive approach.

Indexed as

Migraine DisordersOlfaction DisordersTension-Type HeadacheHeadacheHumansRetrospective StudiesMigraineObservational studyOsmophobiaPreventive treatment

Identifiers

PMID34537019
PMCPMC8449918
OpenAlexW3201429009

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.