Prevalence of cluster headache in the Republic of Georgia: results of a population-based study and methodological considerations |
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| Authors: | Z Katsarava,A Dzagnidze,M Kukava,E Mirvelashvili,M Djibuti,M Janelidze,R Jensen,LJ Stovner,& TJ Steiner |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany,;Department of Neurology and;School of Public Health, Tbilisi Medical University,;NGO, 'Partnership in Research and Action for Health', Tbilisi, Georgia,;Danish Headache Centre, Glostrup University, Copenhagen, Denmark,;Norwegian National Headache Centre, Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway, and;Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Imperial College London, London, UK |
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| Abstract: | We present a study of the general-population prevalence of cluster headache in the Republic of Georgia and discuss the advantages and challenges of different methodological approaches. In a community-based survey, specially trained medical residents visited 500 adjacent households in the capital city, Tbilisi, and 300 households in the eastern rural area of Kakheti. They interviewed all ( n = 1145) biologically unrelated adult occupants using a previously validated questionnaire. The household responses rates were 92% in Tbilisi and 100% in Kakheti. The survey identified 32 persons with possible cluster headache, who were then personally interviewed by one of two headache-experienced neurologists. Cluster headache was confirmed in one subject. The prevalence of cluster headache was therefore estimated to be 87/100 000 (95% confidence interval < 258/100 000). We used a conservative approach, which has an obvious advantage of high-quality data collection, but is very demanding of manpower and time. |
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| Keywords: | Cluster headache prevalence epidemiology |
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