Temporal muscle blood flow in chronic tension-type headache
M. Langemark, K. Jensen and J. Olesen
Department of Neurology, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Temporal muscle blood flow was measured with the xenon 133 clearance
technique in 40 patients with chronic tension-type headache and in 13
control subjects. Pressure-pain threshold in the temporal region was
determined with an algometer. Patients and control subjects did not differ
in any of the blood flow parameters. Resting blood flow at the two sides
was highly correlated (Spearman coefficient, r = .61) and no right/left
differences could be demonstrated. In both patients and control subjects,
blood flow increased approximately fivefold during isometric work (1/3 of a
maximum surface electromyogram). Reactive hyperperfusion after isometric
work was found in 8 patients and in 1 control subject. There was no
definite correlation between the pressure-pain threshold and the
corresponding blood flow. It is not likely that temporal muscle ischemia is
the cause of muscle tenderness and pain in patients with chronic
tension-type headache.
