Dr. Sally Cheseldine highlights how migraines often go undiagnosed in non-verbal individuals with autism or intellectual disabilities, potentially manifesting as head-banging.
Key facts
- •Dr. Sally Cheseldine observed that migraines are rarely diagnosed in non-verbal patients with autism or intellectual disabilities.
- •Damaging head-banging behavior in these patients may be a symptom of unaddressed migraine pain.
- •The 'diagnostic overshadowing' effect can lead to migraines being missed in patients who have other medical labels.
- •Cheese contains tryptophan, which has been linked to behavioral changes in studies of individuals with severe autism.
Dr. Sally Cheseldine reports that migraines are frequently undiagnosed in non-verbal individuals with severe intellectual disabilities or autism. Because these patients cannot communicate their pain, the condition may be overlooked, leading to instances of damaging head-banging behavior.
Diagnostic challenges and behavior
Cheseldine notes that head-banging in these populations may be a response to untreated migraine pain. She suggests that a broader segment of the population remains undiagnosed due to 'diagnostic overshadowing,' where other medical labels obscure the presence of migraines, resulting in harmful consequences for patients.
Tryptophan and dietary cravings
The author also addresses the potential link between migraine-related cravings and cheese, which contains tryptophan. Research from the 1990s by McDougle et al. indicated that individuals with severe autism and low tryptophan levels exhibited increased stereotypic behaviors, including head-banging.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Guardian Health.
