Takeaway
The Cluster Headache Quality of Life (CH-QoL) scale provides a valid representation of disease-specific quality of life that is robust to medical intervention with deep brain stimulation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA-DBS) in people with cluster headache.
Why this matters
Quality of life is a crucial aspect of care in cluster headache, a disorder typified by excruciating pain and significant negative impacts to daily functioning, social functioning, and family life, among others.
The authors previously developed and validated the CH-QoL, the first disease-specific scale to track quality of life in people with cluster headache. It is important to test the sensitivity of the new scale to change; specifically, whether the CH-QoL remains a valid indicator of quality of life after a medical intervention such as VTA-DBS.