The prevalence of headaches, pain, and other associated symptoms in different Persian Gulf deployment periods and deployment durations

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to assess (1) the difference in the prevalence of headaches, pain, and other associated symptoms between Gulf War I (1990–1991) and Post-Gulf War I (1992–2015) veterans who served as active military personnel in the Persian Gulf and (2) how the durations of deployment may affect the prevalence of those symptoms. Methods: With institutional human subject committee approval, veterans who were accepted to the Gulf War Registry at the VA San Diego Healthcare System between July 2013 and June 2015 ( N = 367) were included in this retrospective chart review study and grouped according to the Gulf War period they served under or how long they were deployed to the Persian Gulf. Chi-square was used for categorical data analyses and analysis of variance was conducted for continuous outcomes. All analyses were two-tailed, where applicable, with α = 0.05 and Bonferroni for pairwise group comparisons. Results: Veterans who served during Post-Gulf War I or both Gulf War I and Post-Gulf War I exhibited more pain and neurological symptoms than Gulf War I veterans ( p = 0.005, p = 0.003). In addition, veterans who served ⩾12 months reported more overall pain symptoms and analgesic use than those who served less time ( p < 0.001, p = 0.024). Conclusion: The findings suggest that the length of deployment and Persian Gulf deployment period may play a role in acquiring headaches, pain, and other associated symptoms with increased analgesic consumption.

Diminished corticomotor excitability in Gulf War Illness related chronic pain symptoms; evidence from TMS study

“…While chronic pain conditions are found in 60–70% of Veterans who have served in the 1990–91 Persian Gulf War in general, for those who met the diagnostic criterial of GWI, the prevalence of chronic pain is 100% 5 . Given the inseparable relation between GWI and pain, it would be infeasible to assess the illness/syndrome alone without pain.…”

“…These symptoms include neurological dysfunction, gastrointestinal, respiratory, or dermatological issues as well as pain and fatigue 1 , 2 . Of those, chronic pain has been one of the most debilitating conditions and appears to be inseparable for those who were diagnosed with Gulf War Illness 3 – 5 . While the pathophysiology underlying pain symptomology has not been well defined, it is well known that chronic pain states are associated with diminished intrinsic supraspinal pain modulatory function which often presents as reduced motor cortical excitability 6 – 10 .…”