Beyond the Pain: A Critical Examination of the Psychopathological and Neuropsychological Dimensions of Primary Headaches in Pediatric Populations.

ABSTRACT: Background: Primary headaches in children and adolescents impose emotional, cognitive, and functional burdens beyond pain. This review synthesizes their psychopathological and neuropsychological dimensions and outlines implications for assessment and care. Methods: We performed a comprehensive review with systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase (2015-2025). We included observational/experimental studies and evidence syntheses on 0-18-year-olds with migraine, tension-type, or cluster headache; treatment-only reports were excluded. Results: Across population and clinic samples, primary headaches co-occur with elevated anxiety/depression, frequent ADHD/learning problems, and pervasive sleep disturbances with likely bidirectionality. Interictally, small to modera

SUBMITTER: Accogli G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12565120 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature