Validation of a migraine work and productivity loss questionnaire for use in migraine studies

Migraine symptoms and therapy side effects cause significant functional disability that can result in work and productivity losses. Effective, well-tolerated migraine therapy with rapid onset of relief could decrease work and productivity losses. The Migraine Work and Productivity Loss Questionnaire (MWPLQ) evaluates the impact of migraine and migraine therapy on paid work. Data from a randomized, open-label extension study were collected over 3 months. Migraineurs were randomized to either rizatriptan (5HT(1B/1D) receptor agonist) or their usual migraine therapy. Data were analyzed from 164 patients who experienced at least one work-related migraine. Internal consistency (Cronbach's ct) for the work difficulty domains ranged from 0.80 to 0.95. Work loss and work difficulty were moderately correlated (r = 0.39 - 0.58) with migraine severity and functional ability. Differences were found favoring rizatriptan for absenteeism (1.3 vs 2.4 h), effectiveness at work (62% vs 49%), and difficulty with work-related tasks (p < 0.01). The MWPLQ demonstrated favorable measurement characteristics in this study and could be an important research tool for future evaluations of migraine-related work disability.