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Neuropathy and primary headaches affect different subgroups of inflammatory bowel disease patients

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Abstract

Background

Peripheral neuropathies (PN) and primary headaches (PH) are common comorbidities in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. We aimed to evaluate whether PN and PH affect the same subgroups of IBD patients.

Methods

Since 2004, we established a cohort study to evaluate neurological diseases in IBD patients. Over 2 years, all consecutive (N = 155) IBD patients (either Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) were evaluated for the presence of PN and PH. PH were also evaluated in dyspeptic patients (N = 84) and IBD relatives (controls, N = 101). After neurological evaluation, symptomatic patients underwent skin wrinkling test to evaluate small fiber function and/or electromyography.

Results

Headaches and migraine were more prevalent in IBD than control patients: 52.3 and 34.2% vs. 40.6 and 20.8% (P < 0.05). Migraine was 2.6 times more common in CD patients than controls (CI = 1.34–5.129) and 8.6 times (13.3 times in the CD group) more common in men with IBD (P < 0.05). Headache and migraine were also more common in dyspeptic patients (P < 0.05). Chi-square, univariate, and multivariate regression analysis did not disclose any association between PN, headache, or PH (P > 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis disclosed that headaches were more prevalent in women, co-existing psychiatric disease, IBD, CD, and UC. After age, gender distribution, and prevalence of hypertension and psychiatric diseases were matched among the groups, there were still differences in the prevalence of headaches and migraine among IBD, CD, and UC versus control patients.

Conclusion

In summary, PH and PN are common in IBD and do not affect the same subgroups of patients.

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Data availability

Raw data (including tables and original sheets for data collection) are stored and fully available for evaluation and storage if necessary.

Abbreviations

CD:

Crohn’s disease

ECCO-2010:

European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization criteria

ECCO-2012:

European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization

EMG:

Electromyography

IBD:

Inflammatory bowel disease

IHS:

International Headache Society

IRB:

Institutional Review Board

NEURODII:

Brazilian cohort study designed to evaluate the prevalence of neurological diseases in IBD patients

PN:

Peripheral neuropathies

SWT:

Skin wrinkling test

UC:

Ulcerative colitis

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to statistical guidance from Prof. Luciano Pamplona de Góes Cavalcanti and Hermano Alexandre Lima Rocha.

Funding

This study was supported by research grants from CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior), CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico), and UFC (Universidade Federal do Ceará).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Morphology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

    Antônio M. F. Leitão & Davi F. Araújo

  2. Centro Universitário Unichristus, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

    Antônio M. F. Leitão

  3. Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

    Howard L. Ribeiro Junior

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

    Howard L. Ribeiro Junior

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology Division, Federal University of Ceará, Rua Professor Costa Mendes, 1608, Fortaleza, Ceará, CEP: 60430-140, Brazil

    Lúcia L. B. C. Braga, Marcellus H. L. P. Souza, Alzira M. C. Barbosa, Antônio B. Viana Júnior & Francisco De A. A. Gondim

Authors
  1. Antônio M. F. Leitão
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  2. Howard L. Ribeiro Junior
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  3. Davi F. Araújo
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  8. Francisco De A. A. Gondim
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Contributions

A.M.F.L. and F.A.A.G. conceived the study design. A.M.F.L., H.L.R.Jr., A.B.V.Jr., and F.A.A.G. recruited the patients. A.M.F.L. and F.A.A.G. performed the data collection. A.M.F.L., D.F.A., L.L.B.C.B., M.M.H.L.P.S., A.M.C.B., and F.A.A.G. analyzed the data. A.M.F.L. and F.A.A.G. wrote the first draft of the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francisco De A. A. Gondim.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) from the Universidade Federal do Ceará (Protocol 62248416.7.0000.5045).

Consent to participate

All patients signed a written consent to participate in the study.

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All authors have received the latest version and agree with the submission of this publication.

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Leitão, A.M.F., Ribeiro Junior, H.L., Araújo, D.F. et al. Neuropathy and primary headaches affect different subgroups of inflammatory bowel disease patients. Neurol Sci 42, 935–942 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04596-y

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