Prevalence of Primary Headache in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

September 13, 2026 updated by: Mohamed Ahmed Abd Elnaby Elsayed, Assiut University

Prevalence of Primary Headache Among Patients With Multiple Sclerosis in Assiut University Hospitals

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that can cause a wide range of neurological symptoms. Headache is increasingly recognized as a common yet frequently overlooked symptom that significantly impairs quality of life and daily functioning in people with MS. While international reports suggest a high frequency of primary headache disorders, primarily migraine and tension-type headache, in individuals with MS, data evaluating headache patterns among Egyptian MS patients remain limited.

The purpose of this observational study is to determine the prevalence and specific types of primary headache disorders among adults with MS attending Assiut University Hospitals, classified according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3). The study also aims to evaluate how headache disorders relate to patient demographics, MS disease duration and phenotype, neurological disability, MRI lesion characteristics, disease-modifying therapies, cognitive function, anxiety, and depression.

Participants will complete a single-visit cross-sectional evaluation consisting of:

  • A detailed clinical interview and neurological examination covering medical history, MS course, and headache characteristics.
  • Neurological disability scoring using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).
  • Review of brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
  • Standardized assessments for cognitive performance (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale [HAM-A]), and depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D]).

No experimental medications or procedural interventions are administered as part of this study.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients aged 18 years and older diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (including relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, and primary progressive phenotypes) who attend the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic or are admitted to the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at Assiut University Hospitals during the one-year study period.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult patients aged 18 years or older
  • Confirmed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis according to the McDonald diagnostic criteria
  • Any clinical multiple sclerosis phenotype, including Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS), Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS), or Primary Progressive MS (PPMS)
  • Patients attending the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic or admitted to the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at Assiut University Hospitals during the study period
  • Ability to understand study procedures and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Other inflammatory demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system (e.g., neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder [NMOSD] or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease [MOGAD])
  • Secondary headache attributable to identifiable non-MS etiologies, including intracranial tumors, central nervous system infections, acute cerebrovascular disease, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, or cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
  • Severe cognitive impairment or active psychiatric disorder precluding reliable clinical history-taking or completion of the structured headache assessment
  • Incomplete clinical or radiological records

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Adult patients aged 18 years or older with a confirmed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (including relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, and primary progressive phenotypes) attending the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic or admitted to the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at Assiut University Hospitals.

All participants undergo clinical evaluation, neurological assessment, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scoring, brain and spinal cord MRI, and diagnostic headache classification using the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3) criteria. Additional psychometric and cognitive assessments include the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Prevalence of Primary Headache Disorders
Time Frame: Baseline
Percentage of patients with multiple sclerosis diagnosed with any primary headache disorder according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3) diagnostic criteria. Diagnoses are established through structured clinical interviews, comprehensive headache history, and neurological examination.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Assiut University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 13, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Headache Prevalence in MS

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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