OR-25 - Severity of non-headache physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms is associated with future improvement of acute post-traumatic headache attributed to mild traumatic brain injury

This session explores how non-headache physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms relate to recovery from post-traumatic headache (PTH) following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Attendees will learn how baseline symptom severity can predict headache improvement at three months, and how symptom trajectories differ between individuals who recover and those who develop persistent PTH (pPTH). Key findings include that emotional distress, sensory hypersensitivity, and insomnia are strongly associated with prolonged symptoms. Comparisons with individuals suffering from pPTH for years further highlight the cumulative burden of unresolved symptoms. This research provides insight into early indicators of poor recovery and underscores the importance of targeting non-headache symptoms in clinical interventions.