• Neurology
  • Migraine
  • Headache
  • General medicine

MIDAS score

Quantifying migraine-related disability

The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) quantifies the impact of headaches on activities over the past three months. This self-administered questionnaire helps document migraine-related disability and structure the clinical discussion. It does not establish a diagnosis of migraine.

Number of questions
7 questions
Approximate duration
2 to 3 minutes
Population
Adults presenting with headaches
Modality
Self-administered or interviewer-administered questionnaire

QuestionnaireMIDAS

SELF-QUESTIONNAIRE

The five main questions record the number of lost or reduced activity days (work or school, housework, family, social, or leisure activities). Two additional questions, regarding the number of headache days (A) and the average pain intensity (B), are not included in the total.

Are you patient?

You can fill in the MIDAS yourself. Days of limited activity and days with a headache are different pieces of information; follow the instructions for each question.

Question 1 / 7

1

Over the past 3 months, on how many days did you miss work or school because of your headaches?

Whole number between 0 and 90

Terms of contract

The professional can review the specific situations that explain the disability. A headache diary, if available, helps discuss the three-month recall period, without replacing the questionnaire's instructions.

Score interpretationMIDAS

The score is the sum of the days reported for the five main questions, excluding questions A and B.

Total score

First reading

  • 0 to 5

    Minimal headache-related disability (0 to 5 days).

  • 6 to 10

    Moderate headache-related disability (6 to 10 days).

  • 11 to 20

    Severe headache-related disability (11 to 20 days).

  • 21 to 450

    Severe headache-related disability (21 days and more).

The MIDAS score corresponds to the total number of activity days lost or limited, calculated from the five main questions over the past three months. It distinguishes four disability grades: - Grade I — 0 to 5 days: little or no disability. - Grade II — 6 to 10 days: mild disability. - Grade III — 11 to 20 days: moderate disability. - Grade IV — 21 days or more: severe disability. Additional questions A (number of headache days) and B (average headache intensity) are not included in the total score.

Three-month recall can be imprecise, and usual activities influence the reported disability. The total does not necessarily correspond to a number of distinct calendar days and should not be confused with headache frequency. The questionnaire alone does not characterize the type of headache.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and references

Walter F. Stewart, Richard B. Lipton et al.

Initial validation: Neurology, 2001; Headache, 2001.

Questionnaires and associated scores

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