Screening assessments, also called measures, tools, and tests, are questions your doctor will ask in order to determine if you have migraine and to gauge the impact migraine is having on your quality of life. Assessments may be a short series of simple questions your doctor asks during your office visit, or they may be longer written evaluations.

Is It a Migraine?

ID Migraine is a three-question screening tool that identifies headache-related nausea, photophobia (light sensitivity), and disability. It is one of the few screening assessments that has been validated for high sensitivity in clinical trials. And because it's very quick and specific, in addition to being highly accurate, it's a good tool for both patients and physicians. ID Migraine consists of these questions:

• Has a headache limited your activities for a day or more in the last three months?

• Are you nauseated or sick to your stomach when you have a headache?

• Does light bother you when you have a headache?

Patients who answer yes to at least two out of the three questions are identified as likely migraineurs who should undergo a further diagnostic workup. There is also a longer, nine-item version of the assessment that your doctor may use.

Functional and Quality-of-Life Assessments

The Functional Assessment in Migraine (FAIM) questionnaire is a screening tool that assesses how migraine affects your physical and mental functioning during an attack. FAIM includes subscales that are used to determine how migraine impacts work productivity and participation in day-to-day activities.

There are a number of patient assessment tools your doctor may use to measure the impact that migraine has on your quality of life and the level of disability caused by the condition. These include:

• The Headache Impact Test (HIT): A written six-item test that measures the impact headaches have on daily functioning at home, work, school, and in social situations. There is also an online version of this assessment.

• The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS): A seven-item written questionnaire designed to assess migraine-related disability.

• Migraine Specific Quality of Life Survey (MSQ or MSQoL): A 20-item assessment to assess quality of life in migraineurs.

• Headache Needs Assessment Questionnaire (HANA): A 14-question assessment of the frequency and “bothersomeness” of chronic head pain.