A validation study of an Italian version of the "ID Migraine".

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a highly prevalent and disabling disease which is substantially underdiagnosed in primary care. Recently, the ID Migraine, a self-administered questionnaire, consisting of only 3 items, was shown to be a valid and reliable screening instrument for migraine in primary care in the United States. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to validate an Italian version of the "ID Migraine" questionnaire. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-two consecutive headache patients referring to 8 headache centers in Sicily (Italy) completed an Italian version of the ID Migraine. The responses to the questionnaire were compared with the diagnosis of headache made by a headache specialist blind to the result of the questionnaire. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for migraine were calculated. RESULTS: The statistical analysis of 222 patients examined showed a very good performance of the ID Migraine with high sensitivity: 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91 to 0.98), specificity: 0.72 (95% CI, 0.62 to 0.82), and positive predictive value: 0.88 (95% CI, 0.82 to 0.93). ID Migraine showed also a very good accuracy level: 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83 to 0.92). CONCLUSION: This validation study showed "ID Migraine" as a valid tool for migraine screening also in Italian patients referring to headache centers. If confirmed in a primary care setting, these results establish the "ID Migraine" as a valid screening instrument for migraine in Italian population.