Are you feeling burdened with migraine, but not sure how to describe its impact?
What if I told you that there’s a simple questionnaire that accurately describes the disability and impact migraine has on your life?
What is MIDAS?
The MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment) questionnaire helps measure the impact of your migraine disease. It is a great tool to use with your physician to determine the best treatment option for you.
Essentially, this questionnaire asks how often in the last few months migraine has cut your productivity or forced you to miss out on work/school/home activities. The results describe your level of disability.
You may fill out this questionnaire at medical appointments, but it’s something great for your own information as well. Some migraine tracking phone apps determine your MIDAS score for you, but you can easily calculate your score by following the formula below.
How to Calculate Your Score
Please answer the following questions about ALL of the headaches and migraine attacks you have had over the last 3 months.
Note your answer in the box next to each question. Write zero if you did not have the activity in the last 3 months.
_____ 1. On how many days in the last 3 months did you miss work or school because of your headaches and migraine attacks?
_____ 2. How many days in the last 3 months was your productivity at work or school reduced by half or more because of your headaches and migraine attacks? (Do not include days you counted in question 1 where you missed work or school.)
_____ 3. On how many days in the last 3 months did you not do household work (such as housework, home repairs and maintenance, shopping, caring for children and relatives) because of your headaches and migraine attacks?
_____ 4. How many days in the last 3 months was your productivity in household work reduced by half of more because of your headaches and migraine attacks? (Do not include days you counted in question 3 where you did not do household work.)
_____ 5. On how many days in the last 3 months did you miss family, social or leisure activities because of your headaches?
_____ Total MIDAS Score (Questions 1-5)
MIDAS Score | MIDAS Grade | Definition |
0-5 | I | Little or No Disability |
6-10 | II | Mild Disability |
11-20 | III | Moderate Disability |
21+ | IV | Severe Disability |
Why Use MIDAS
As described, MIDAS helps guide you and your physician to the best treatment option for you.
You may also use this information as a measurable baseline when starting a new treatment. The goal of migraine treatments is to lower disability, so keeping an eye on your MIDAS score can be valuable in determining whether the treatment is effective.
