Hormonal changes in headache patients

• Published in: Journal of the neurological sciences Vol. 106; no. 1; pp. 75 - 81
• Main Authors: Elwan, Osamah, Abdella, Mohamed, El Bayad, Abu Bakr, Hamdy, Sherif
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 01.11.1991; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Circadian Rhythm; Depression - complications; Depression - physiopathology; Electroencephalography; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - analysis; Headache; Headache - blood; Headache - cerebrospinal fluid; Headache - classification; Headache - physiopathology; Hormonal change; Humans; Hydrocortisone - analysis; Luteinizing Hormone - analysis; Male; Medical sciences; Migraine Disorders - blood; Migraine Disorders - cerebrospinal fluid; Migraine Disorders - complications; Migraine Disorders - physiopathology; Neurology; Prolactin - analysis; Sex Factors; Stress, Physiological - complications; Stress, Physiological - physiopathology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Hormonal change; Headache; Human; Hormone; Nervous system diseases; Pain; Radioimmunoassay; Homeostasis; Exploration; Endocrinology
• ISSN: 0022-510X; 1878-5883
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-510X(91)90197-F

Seventy-three patients with headache underwent serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) radioimmunoassays of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), cortisol and prolactin. Serum FSH showed significant increases in all headache patients while serum LH increased only in females. Such a rise of serum FSH and LH is attributed to disturbances of the sleep-wake cycle. On the other hand, serum cortisol was significantly decreased in the male headache patients, probably due to altered circadian rhythm. Serum prolactin remained within normal limits. CSF prolactin, FSH and LH showed detectable levels in all headache sufferers compared to undetectable levels in control subjects, while CSF cortisol was significantly reduced.