What is the association between headaches and epilepsy
Headaches and epilepsy are comorbid.
The prevalence of migraine in epilepsy has ranged from 8% to 24% and of epilepsy in migraine from 1% to 17%.
Headaches can occur in association with seizures as seizure-related or peri-ictal headaches. Pre-ictal headaches precede the seizure and occur in 5% to 15% of patients with epilepsy.
Ictal headache is reported by less than 5% of patients with epilepsy. Post-ictal headache can occur immediately after a seizure and is reported in 10% to 50% of patients with epilepsy.
The headaches can be migraine-like, tension-like, or unclassifiable.
Migralepsy, referring to a seizure developing during or within 1 hour of a migraine aura, is extremely rare.
