Objective:
This one-hour course aims to introduce foundational concepts in neuroepidemiology with a special focus on headache research. It will focus on the essentials of health data science, understanding confounding through causal diagrams, and challenges in measuring headache in population-based studies. Participants will gain an introductory understanding of the methodologies and challenges unique to neuroepidemiological research, setting the groundwork for more advanced studies.
Overview:
This introductory session covers three core topics in neuroepidemiology. The session begins with an overview of health data science tasks, highlighting the areas of description, prediction, and causal inference critical to population-based headache research. Following this, participants will explore confounding and causal diagrams, focusing on how visualizing relationships between variables can aid in identifying causal relationships and addressing potential biases. The session concludes with a practical introduction to headache measurements in epidemiologic studies, discussing the tools and challenges in capturing accurate and reliable data on headache frequency, intensity, and impact. Together, these topics provide a comprehensive foundation in neuroepidemiology, equipping participants with the basic tools and knowledge to understand and conduct population-based headache research.