Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40387234›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2025

Long-Term Persistent Headache After SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Follow-Up Population-Based Study.

Lénia Silva, Joana Fernandes, Rui Lopes, Sara Costa, Sofia Malheiro, Elaine Aires, Diogo Pereira, Joana Fonte, Alexandre Dias, Vanessa Oliveira and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
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

15 authors.

Lénia SilvaNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0003-1514-7358
Joana FernandesNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Rui LopesNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Sara CostaNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Sofia MalheiroNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Elaine AiresNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Diogo PereiraNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Joana FonteNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Alexandre Diasi3S - Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Vanessa OliveiraInstituto Português de Oncologia, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-2336-4208
Sara CavacoNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-7428-2854
Rui MagalhãesInstituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-0232-1276
Manuel CorreiaNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Carlos AndradeNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.
Luís F MaiaNeurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Do Porto, ULS Santo António, Porto, Portugal.

Funding

Bial FoundationFoundation for Science and Technology
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHeadache is a symptom of the long-COVID syndrome. The incidence and characteristics of de novo post-COVID headaches remain unclear. Our aim was to characterize new-onset headaches in a population-based prospective cohort of COVID-19 patients from the first pandemic wave.

methodsThis study followed a prospective cohort of 732 COVID-19 patients consecutively diagnosed between March and June 2020. Neurological follow-up was performed face-to-face or by phone at 3, 12, and 24 months. A structured clinical questionnaire was used to characterize headaches before infection and 24 months postinfection.

resultsOverall, 448 patients completed the 24-month follow-up, with a mean age of 51.6 years at SARS-CoV-2 infection; 272 (60.7%) were women. A prior history of headaches was reported by 115 (25.7%). Patients with either pre-existing or de novo persistent headaches were younger, more often women, and exhibited hyposmia, hypogeusia, and headache during the acute phase of infection. De novo persistent headaches occurred in 54 of 333 (16.2%) headache-naïve patients. Of these, 35 (64.8%) fulfilled migraine-like headache (MLH) criteria (mean age of 49.1 years at 24-month follow-up), with a cumulative incidence of 42/1000/year.

conclusionsDe novo persistent headaches are common 2 years after COVID-19, with MLH being the most frequent type. MLH incidence after COVID-19 is elevated and de novo "migraineurs-like" tend to be older compared to the general population. This is an important finding with potential implications for healthcare and quality of life, considering the high number of COVID-19 cases and the global burden of migraine.

Indexed as

COVID-19HeadacheAdultAgedFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedMigraine DisordersProspective StudiesCOVID‐19headacheincidencemigraine

Identifiers

PMID40387234
PMCPMC12086783

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.