Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Neuropsychiatric aspects of migraine

  • Published:
Current Psychiatry Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Migraine is a common chronic disorder that presents with recurrent attacks of headache and associated symptoms. Various somatic and psychiatric conditions have been reported as comorbid conditions with migraine. Among the psychiatric disorders that have been reported as comorbid with migraine are major depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and bipolar disorder. Recent studies discussing the comorbidity of headache and psychiatric disorders are reviewed here.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References and Recommended Reading

  1. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society: The International Classification of Headache Disorders. Cephalalgia 2004, 24(Suppl 1):1–160.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Cady R, Farmer K, Dexter JK, et al.: Cosensitization of pain and psychiatric comorbidity in chronic daily headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2005, 4:7–12.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Swartz KL, Pratt LA, Armenian HK, et al.: Mental disorders and the incidence of migraine headaches in a community sample. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2000, 57:945–950.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Breslau N, Schultz LR, Stewart WF, et al.: Headache types and panic disorder: directionality and specificity. Neurology 2001, 56:350–354.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Breslau N, Lipton RB, Stewart WF, et al.: Comorbity of migraine and depression. Neurology 2003, 60:1308–1312.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Breslau N, Davis GC, Andreski P: Migraine, psychiatric disorders, and suicide attempts: an epidemiological study of young adults. Psychiatr Res 1991, 37:11–23.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Breslau N, Davis GC, Schultz LR, et al.: Migraine and major depression: a longitudinal study. Headache 1994, 34:387–393.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Breslau N: Psychiatric comorbidity in migraine. Cephalalgia 1998, 18(Suppl 22):S56–61.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kececi H, Dener S, Analan E: Comorbidity of migraine and major depression in the Turkish population. Cephalagia 2003, 23:271–275.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Low NC, Guillaume G, Cervantes P: Prevalence, clinical correlates, and treatment of migraine in bipolar disorder. Headache 2003, 43:940–949.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Mahmood T, Romans S, Silverstone T: Prevalence of migraine in bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord 1999, 52:239–241.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Merikangas KR, Angst J, Isler H: Migraine and psychopathology: results of the Zurich cohort study of young adults. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1990, 47:849–853.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lipton RB, Silberstein SD: Why study the comorbidity of migraine? Neurology 1994, 44(Suppl 7):S4–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Peet M: Induction of mania with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants. Br J Psychiatry 1994, 164:549–550.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Sheftell FD, Bigal ME: Headache and psychiatric comorbidity. Psychiatr Times 2004, 23:41–46.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Peroutka SJ, Price SC, Wihoit TL, et al.: Comorbid migraine with aura, anxiety and depression is associated with dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) NcoI alleles. Mol Med 1998, 4:14–21.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Rome HP, Rome JD: Limbically augmented pain syndrome (LAPS): kindling, corticolimbic sensitization, and the convergence of affective and sensory symptoms in chronic pain disorders. Pain Medicine 2000, 1:7–22. This paper introduces the concept of LAPS as a potential explanation for the comorbid association between psychiatric disorders and migraine. The authors hypothesized that the normal psychobiological arousal that acute pain produces in the limbic system becomes a pathogenic stress when it persists over time. This results in the sensory and affective pain pathways becoming sensitized and an augmented response.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society: Classification and diagnostic criteria for headache disorders, cranial neuralgias and facial pain. Cephalalgia 1988, 8(Suppl 7):1–96.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sheftell FD, Atlas SJ: Migraine and psychatric comorbidity: from theory and hypotheses to clinical application. Headache 2002, 42:934–944. This is a good general review of migraine and common comorbid psychiatric disorders and the implications.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Fulop G, Strain JJ, Vita J, et al.: Impact of psychiatric comorbidity on length of hospital stay for medical/surgical patients: a preliminary report. Am J Psychiatry 1987, 144:878–882.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Low NC, Merikangas KR: The comorbity of Migraine. CNS Spectr 2003, 8:433,434,437–444. This is a good general review of migraine and common medical and psychiatric disorders. It includes reader-friendly tables comparing several recent studies.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Patel NV, Bigal ME, Kolodner S, et al.: Prevalence and impact of migraine and probable migraine in a health plan. Neurology 2004, 63:1432–1433.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB: Validation and utility of a self-report version of PRIME-MD: the PHQ Primary Care Study. Primary care evaluation of mental disorders. Patient Health Questionnaire. JAMA 1999, 282:1737–1744.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Wacogne C, Lacoste JP, Guillibert E: Stress, anxiety, depression and migraine. Cephalalgia 2003, 23:451–455.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Consoli SM, Taine P, Szabason F, et al.: Development and validation of a perceived stress questionnaire recommended as a follow-up indicatior in occupational medicine. Encephale 1997, 23:184–193.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Levenstein S, Prantera C, Varvo V, et al.: Development of the perceived stress questionnaire: a new tool for psychosomatic research. Psychosom Res 1993, 37:19–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Zigmond AS, Snaith RP: The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Pschiatr Scand 1983, 67:361–370.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, et al.: Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R Psychiatric disorders in the United States. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1994, 51:8–19.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Robbins L, Ludmer C: Headache The bipolar spectrum in migraine patients. Am J Pain Manage 2000, 10:167–170.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Merikangas KR, Angst J, Isler H: Migraine and psychopathology. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1990, 47:849–853.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Fasmer OB: The prevalence of migraine in patients with bipolar and unipolar affective disorders. Cephalalgia 2001, 21:894–899.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Akiskal HS: Mood disorders: clinical features. In Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry VI. Edited by Kaplan HI, Sadock BJ. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1995:1123–1152.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Akiskal HS: Toward a clinical understanding of the relationship of anxiety and depressive disorders. In Comorbidity in Anxiety and Mood Disorders. Edited by Maser J, Cloninger R. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 1990:597–607.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Akiskal HS: The bipolar spectrum: new concepts in classification and diagnosis. In Psychiatry Update: the American Psychiatric Association Annual Review. Edited by Grinspoon L. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 1983:271–292.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peterlin, B.L., Ward, T.N. Neuropsychiatric aspects of migraine. Curr Psychiatry Rep 7, 371–375 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-005-0039-y

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-005-0039-y

Keywords

Navigation