Evaluating therapeutic benefits of ubrogepant via latent class models: A post hoc exploratory analysis of the ACHIEVE I and ACHIEVE II trials

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate an alternative method of defining acute treatment success in migraine by combining multiple indicators into a single dichotomous measure of success.

BACKGROUND

Migraine is characterized by a symptom complex; combining these features as a single endpoint may improve the measurement of treatment effects and better predict patient satisfaction with treatment.

METHODS

We used a confirmatory latent class model (LCM) with two latent classes interpreted as treatment success and treatment failure. Pooled data for placebo and ubrogepant 50 mg from the ACHIEVE I and ACHIEVE II trials and data for ubrogepant 100 mg from ACHIEVE I were used. LCM inputs included pre-dose and 2-h post-dose measures of pain severity (0-3), the presence/absence of associated symptoms (nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia [0 or 1]), and functional disability (0-3). All definitions were validated against satisfaction with study medication (SWSM) at 24 h post-dose; results were compared with 2-hour pain freedom (2hPF).

RESULTS

This pooled analysis included 2247 participants. At 2 h post-dose in the ubrogepant 50 and 100 mg dose groups, 53.2% (472/887) and 54.9% (246/448) of participants, respectively, were classified as achieving treatment success using the LCM-based approach, compared to 39.0% (356/912) of participants in the placebo group. The results for treatment success using the 2hPF endpoint were 20.7% (184/887) and 21.5% (96/447) in the ubrogepant 50 and 100 mg dose groups, respectively, compared to 12.7% (116/912) for placebo. Using 24-h SWSM as an external validator, the LCM approach sensitivity and correct classification rates were higher than for 2hPF.

CONCLUSION

The LCM approach led to higher rates of treatment success and greater separation between ubrogepant and placebo and was a more sensitive predictor of treatment satisfaction than the regulatory endpoint of 2hPF.

Classifying migraine subtypes and their characteristics by latent class analysis using data of a nation-wide population-based study

Migraine neither presents with a definitive single symptom nor has a distinct biomarker; thus, its diagnosis is based on combinations of typical symptoms. We aimed to identify natural subgroups of migraine based on symptoms listed in the diagnostic criteria of the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to the data of the Korean Sleep-Headache Study, a nationwide population-based survey. We selected a three-class model based on Akaike and Bayesian information criteria and characterized the three identified classes as “mild and low frequency,” “photophobia and phonophobia,” and “severe and high frequency.” In total, 52.0% (65/125) of the participants were classified as “mild and low frequency,” showing the highest frequency of mild headache intensity but the lowest overall headache frequency. Meanwhile, “photophobia and phonophobia” involved 33.6% (42/125) of the participants, who showed the highest frequency of photophobia and phonophobia. Finally, “severe and high frequency” included 14.4% (18/125) of the participants, and they presented the highest frequency of severe headache intensity and highest headache frequency. In conclusion, LCA is useful for analyzing the heterogeneity of migraine symptoms and identifying migraine subtypes. This approach may improve our understanding of the clinical characterization of migraine.

Prevalence and association of lifestyle and medical-, psychiatric-, and pain-related comorbidities in patients with migraine: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Migraine has been associated with many comorbidities. However, lifestyle factors and the presence of comorbid diseases have not previously been extensively studied in the same sample. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle factors and comorbid diseases between patients with migraine and migraine-free controls with subgroup analyses to determine the pathophysiology and possible consequences.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study recruited 1257 patients with migraine between the ages of 20 and 65 years from a headache outpatient clinic in Taiwan and 496 non-migraine controls. All participants completed questionnaires regarding demographics, migraine diagnosis, sleep, headache burden, and medical, pain, and psychiatric conditions. Participants also underwent a structured interview. The associations between comorbidities and migraine were investigated and further stratified by sex and aura.

RESULTS

Patients with migraine with aura had an unhealthier lifestyle compared with controls in the form of current smoking status (15.5% [67/431] vs. 11.5% [57/496], p = 0.013). Furthermore, medical- (e.g., thyroid disease; 7.2% [91/1257 vs. 2.8% [14/496]; p = 0.006), psychiatric- (e.g., depression; 6% [76/1257 vs. 2.6% [13/496]; p = 0.031), and pain-related (e.g., fibromyalgia; 8% [101/1257 vs. 3.2% [16/496]; p = 0.006) comorbidities were more prevalent in patients compared with controls. Subgroup analyses revealed that chronic migraine, migraine with aura, and female sex were associated with a greater number of significant comorbidities than episodic migraine, migraine without aura, and male patients with migraine, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Individuals seeking treatment for migraine reported greater levels of smoking and medical, psychiatric, and pain conditions than non-treatment-seeking healthy controls who were recruited from the community. Understanding the relationship between migraine and comorbid diseases may improve medical care as well as the quality of life.

Affective temperaments and lifetime major depression in female migraine patients

The relationship between affective temperaments and migraine is not well studied to date. It is also uncertain whether some affective temperaments may predispose the migraine patients to major depression (MD). We hypothesized that migraine patients had more affective temperament traits than HCs, and certain affective temperament traits in migraine patients are associated with lifetime MD. The sample included fifty-eight female migraine patients and age-matched 55 healthy women. The migraine was diagnosed according to the third edition of International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III). Lifetime MD was determined by means of Structured Clinical Interview I for DSM-IV. Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) Questionnaire was applied to participants to determine the impact of migraine on daily life. Affective temperamental traits were assessed through Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire. All affective temperament traits (p < .0001) and the rate of MD (p = .002) were significantly higher in migraine patients compared to HCs. Non-depressive migraine patients (n = 36) had significantly more hyperthymic temperament traits compared to depressive patients (n = 22) (p = .04). Specifically, depressive temperament traits were significantly associated with higher lifetime MD in female migraine patients (B = 0.196, Exp(B) = 1.216, p = .01). Our findings suggest that affective temperaments may predispose some women to migraine, and depressive temperament may have a casual role in the development of lifetime depression in migraine patients.

Major depression subtypes are differentially associated with migraine subtype, prevalence and severity

Objective

Migraine and major depressive disorder show a high rate of comorbidity, but little is known about the associations between the subtypes of major depressive disorder and migraine. In this cross-sectional study we aimed at investigating a) the lifetime associations between the atypical, melancholic, combined and unspecified subtype of major depressive disorder and migraine with and without aura and b) the associations between major depressive disorder and its subtypes and the severity of migraine.

Methods

A total of 446 subjects with migraine (migraine without aura: n = 294; migraine with aura: n = 152) and 2511 controls from the population-based CoLaus/PsyCoLaus study, Switzerland, were included. Associations between major depressive disorder subtypes and migraine characteristics were tested using binary logistic or linear regression.

Results

Melancholic, combined and unspecified major depressive disorder were associated with increased frequency of migraine with aura, whereas only melancholic major depressive disorder was associated with increased frequency of migraine without aura. Lifetime and unspecified major depressive disorder were associated with severe migraine intensity among subjects with migraine with aura but not migraine without aura, while combined major depressive disorder was associated with higher migraine frequency independently from migraine subtype.

Conclusion

This study suggests that melancholic but not atypical major depressive disorder is associated with migraine and migraine subtypes. Future studies exploring pathophysiological mechanisms shared between melancholic depression and migraine are warranted.

Understanding the nature of psychiatric comorbidity in migraine: a systematic review focused on interactions and treatment implications

BACKGROUND

Migraine is a highly prevalent and disabling neurological disorder which is commonly linked with a broad range of psychiatric comorbidities, especially among subjects with migraine with aura or chronic migraine. Defining the exact nature of the association between migraine and psychiatric disorders and bringing out the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the comorbidity with psychiatric conditions are relevant issues in the clinical practice.

METHODS

A systematic review of the most relevant studies about migraine and psychiatric comorbidity was performed using "PubMed", "Scopus", and "ScienceDirect" electronic databases from 1 January 1998 to 15 July 2018. Overall, 178 studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the current review.

RESULTS

According to the most relevant findings of our overview, the associations with psychiatric comorbidities are complex, with a bidirectional association of major depression and panic disorder with migraine. Importantly, optimizing the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of either migraine or its psychiatric comorbidities might help clinicians to attenuate the burden of both these conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The available data highlight the need for a comprehensive evaluation of psychiatric disorders in migraine in order to promote an integrated model of care and carefully address the burden and psychosocial impairment related to psychiatric comorbidities in migraine.

Decreased Openness to Experience Is Associated with Migraine-Type Headaches in Subjects with Lifetime Depression

Introduction

Migraine and depression frequently occur as comorbid conditions, and it has been hypothesized that migraine with and without depression may have a different genetic background. A distinct personality trait constellation has been described in migraineurs. Less attention, however, was paid to personality differences in migraineurs with and without depression which may also shed light on differences in the neurobiological, background. The aim of our study was to investigate big five personality traits, headaches, and lifetime depression (DEP) in a large European general population sample.

Methods

Relationship between DEP, Big Five Inventory personality traits, and headaches identified by the ID-Migraine Questionnaire were investigated in 3,026 individuals from Budapest and Manchester with multivariate and logistic regression analyses.

Results

Both DEP and migraine(ID) showed differences in personality traits. Neuroticism was an independent risk factor for both conditions while a significant interaction effect appeared between the two in the case of openness. Namely, subjects with migraine(ID) and without DEP scored higher on openness compared to those who had depression.

Conclusion

While we confirmed previous results that high neuroticism is a risk factor for both depression and migraine, openness to experience was significantly lower in the co-occurrence of migraine and depression. Our results suggest that increased openness, possibly manifested in optimal or advantageous cognitive processing of pain experience in migraine may decrease the risk of co-occurrence of depression and migraine and thus may provide valuable insight for newer prevention and intervention approaches in the treatment of these conditions.

Genetics of Migraine: Insights into the Molecular Basis of Migraine Disorders

Migraine is a complex, debilitating neurovascular disorder, typically characterized by recurring, incapacitating attacks of severe headache often accompanied by nausea and neurological disturbances. It has a strong genetic basis demonstrated by rare migraine disorders caused by mutations in single genes (monogenic), as well as familial clustering of common migraine which is associated with polymorphisms in many genes (polygenic). Hemiplegic migraine is a dominantly inherited, severe form of migraine with associated motor weakness. Family studies have found that mutations in three different ion channels genes, CACNA1A, ATP1A2, and SCN1A can be causal. Functional studies of these mutations has shown that they can result in defective regulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission and the excitatory/inhibitory balance in the brain, which lowers the threshold for cortical spreading depression, a wave of cortical depolarization thought to be involved in headache initiation mechanisms. Other putative genes for monogenic migraine include KCKN18, PRRT2, and CSNK1D, which can also be involved with other disorders. There are a number of primarily vascular disorders caused by mutations in single genes, which are often accompanied by migraine symptoms. Mutations in NOTCH3 causes cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), a hereditary cerebrovascular disease that leads to ischemic strokes and dementia, but in which migraine is often present, sometimes long before the onset of other symptoms. Mutations in the TREX1 and COL4A1 also cause vascular disorders, but often feature migraine. With respect to common polygenic migraine, genome-wide association studies have now identified single nucleotide polymorphisms at 38 loci significantly associated with migraine risk. Functions assigned to the genes in proximity to these loci suggest that both neuronal and vascular pathways also contribute to the pathophysiology of common migraine. Further studies are required to fully understand these findings and translate them into treatment options for migraine patients.

Symptom dimensions of affective disorders in migraine patients

OBJECTIVE

A strong association has been established between migraine and depression. However, this is the first study to differentiate in a large sample of migraine patients for symptom dimensions of the affective disorder spectrum.

METHODS

Migraine patients (n=3174) from the LUMINA (Leiden University Medical Centre Migraine Neuro-analysis Program) study and patients with current psychopathology (n=1129), past psychopathology (n=477), and healthy controls (n=561) from the NESDA (Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety) study, were compared for three symptom dimensions of depression and anxiety. The dimensions -lack of positive affect (depression specific); negative affect (nonspecific); and somatic arousal (anxiety specific)- were assessed by a shortened adaptation of the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ-D30). Within the migraine group, the association with migraine specific determinants was established. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Migraine patients differed significantly (p<0.001) from healthy controls for all three dimensions: Cohen's d effect sizes were 0.37 for lack of positive affect, 0.68 for negative affect, and 0.75 for somatic arousal. For the lack of positive affect and negative affect dimensions, migraine patients were predominantly similar to the past psychopathology group. For the somatic arousal dimension, migraine patients scores were more comparable with the current psychopathology group. Migraine specific determinants for high scores on all dimensions were high frequency of attacks and cutaneous allodynia during attacks.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that affective symptoms in migraine patients are especially associated with the somatic arousal component.

The Impacts of Migraine among Outpatients with Major Depressive Disorder at a Two-Year Follow-Up

Background

No study has investigated the impacts of migraine on depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms and remission at the two-year follow-up point among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to investigate the above issues.

Methods

Psychiatric outpatients with MDD recruited at baseline were investigated at a two-year follow-up (N = 106). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Depression and Somatic Symptoms Scale were used. Migraine was diagnosed according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2^nd edition. The patients were divided into no migraine, inactive migraine, and active migraine subgroups. Multiple logistic regressions were used to investigate the significant factors related to full remission of depression.

Results

Among patients without pharmacotherapy at the follow-up, patients with active migraine had significantly greater severities of anxiety and somatic symptoms as compared with patients without migraine; moreover, patients with active migraine had the lowest improvement percentage and full remission rate. There were no significant differences in depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms between patients with inactive migraine and those without migraine. Active headache at follow-up was a significant factor related to a lower full remission rate.

Conclusions

Active headache at follow-up was associated with a lower rate of full remission and more residual anxiety and somatic symptoms at follow-up among patients with migraine. Physicians should integrate a treatment plan for depression and migraine for the treatment of patients with MDD.

Association between eating disorders and migraine may be explained by major depression

OBJECTIVE

The association between eating disorders and migraine remains unclear.

METHOD

We identified women with lifetime diagnoses of anorexia nervosa (AN) (N = 55) and bulimia nervosa (BN) (N = 60) and their co-twins from the FinnTwin16 cohort born in 1975-1979 (N = 2,825 women). Eating disorder and major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnoses were obtained from clinical interviews and data on migraine by self-report questionnaire. The women with eating disorders were compared with their unaffected co-twins and with unrelated women from the same birth cohorts.

RESULTS

The prevalence of migraine was 12% in the general female population, but 22% for both AN and BN (odds ratio 2.0, p = .04). The prevalence of MDD was high in women with an eating disorder (42%). MDD was strongly associated with migraine (odds ratio 3.0, p < .0001) and explained the association between eating disorders and migraine. The highest migraine prevalence (36%) was found in women with both an eating disorder and MDD. Pairwise twin analyses also supported the clustering of migraine, MDD and eating disorders.

DISCUSSION

Women with a lifetime diagnosis of an eating disorder were twice as likely to report a history of migraine as unrelated women from the same cohort; this relationship was explained by comorbid MDD.

Genetic risk score analysis indicates migraine with and without comorbid depression are genetically different disorders

Migraine and major depressive disorder (MDD) are comorbid, moderately heritable and to some extent influenced by the same genes. In a previous paper, we suggested the possibility of causality (one trait causing the other) underlying this comorbidity. We present a new application of polygenic (genetic risk) score analysis to investigate the mechanisms underlying the genetic overlap of migraine and MDD. Genetic risk scores were constructed based on data from two discovery samples in which genome-wide association analyses (GWA) were performed for migraine and MDD, respectively. The Australian Twin Migraine GWA study (N = 6,350) included 2,825 migraine cases and 3,525 controls, 805 of whom met the diagnostic criteria for MDD. The RADIANT GWA study (N = 3,230) included 1,636 MDD cases and 1,594 controls. Genetic risk scores for migraine and for MDD were used to predict pure and comorbid forms of migraine and MDD in an independent Dutch target sample (NTR-NESDA, N = 2,966), which included 1,476 MDD cases and 1,058 migraine cases (723 of these individuals had both disorders concurrently). The observed patterns of prediction suggest that the 'pure' forms of migraine and MDD are genetically distinct disorders. The subgroup of individuals with comorbid MDD and migraine were genetically most similar to MDD patients. These results indicate that in at least a subset of migraine patients with MDD, migraine may be a symptom or consequence of MDD.

Migraine predicts physical and pain symptoms among psychiatric outpatients

Background

No study has been performed to compare the impacts of migraine and major depressive episode (MDE) on depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among psychiatric outpatients. The aim of this study was to investigate the above issue.

Methods

This study enrolled consecutive psychiatric outpatients with mood and/or anxiety disorders who undertook a first visit to a medical center. Migraine was diagnosed according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2^nd edition. Three psychometric scales and the Short-Form 36 were administered. General linear models were used to estimate the difference in scores contributed by either migraine or MDE. Multiple linear regressions were employed to compare the variance of these scores explained by migraine or MDE.

Results

Among 214 enrolled participants, 35.0% had migraine. Bipolar II disorder patients (70.0%) had the highest percentage of migraine, followed by major depressive disorder (49.1%) and only anxiety disorder (24.5%). Patients with migraine had worse depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms and lower SF-36 scores than those without. The estimated differences in the scores of physical functioning, bodily pain, and somatic symptoms contributed by migraine were not lower than those contributed by MDE. The regression model demonstrated the variance explained by migraine was significantly greater than that explained by MDE in physical and pain symptoms.

Conclusions

Migraine was common and the impact of migraine on physical and pain symptoms was greater than MDE among psychiatric outpatients. Integration of treatment strategies for migraine into psychiatric treatment plans should be considered.

Anxiety and depression are associated with migraine and pain in general: an investigation of the interrelationships

There is a well-established comorbidity between migraine and anxiety and depression (A/D). Here, we investigate whether this relationship is specific for migraine and A/D or whether other types of pain are also consistently associated with A/D. In addition, we test whether there is a consistent association between migraine and other types of pain when comorbidity with A/D is controlled for. Data on A/D, migraine, and 6 nonheadache pain locations (back, neck, orofacial area, abdomen, joints, and chest) were analyzed in 2,981 participants from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). It was tested whether the prevalence of pain in each individual location, as well as the total number of pain locations, depended on A/D and migraine status. A/D was consistently associated with pain in all measured locations. Migraine was also associated with pain in all anatomical sites, but these associations weakened substantially after correction for A/D severity, suggesting that a considerable part of the comorbidity of migraine and other types of pain may be explained by A/D. These findings emphasize the importance of accounting for A/D in studies of pain comorbidity. This will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying A/D and pain.

PERSPECTIVE

Anxiety and depression are consistently associated with pain, regardless of anatomical site. These disorders may be important factors in the co-occurrence of different pain disorders. Awareness of this comorbidity and a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms may facilitate adequate treatment of both types of conditions.

Multimodal behavioral treatment of migraine: an Internet-administered, randomized, controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Multimodal approaches in behavioral treatment have gained recent interest, with proven efficacy for migraine. The utility of the Internet has been demonstrated for behavioral treatment of headache disorders, but not specifically for migraine. The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate an Internet-based multimodal behavior treatment (MBT) program for migraine and to test hand massage treatment as an adjunct.

METHODS

Eighty-three adults, 58 women and 25 men, with at least two migraine attacks a month were recruited via advertisements. An MBT program aiming at improvements in life-style and stress coping was developed for this study and, together with a diary, adapted for use over the Internet. Participants were randomized to MBT with and without hand massage and to a control group, and were followed for 11 months. Questionnaires addressing issues of quality of life (PQ23) and depressive symptoms (MADRS-S) were used.

RESULTS

A 50%, or greater, reduction in migraine frequency was found in 40% and 42% of participants of the two groups receiving MBT (with and without hand massage, respectively), who statistically were significantly more improved than participants in the control group. No effect of hand massage was detected, and gender did not show any independent contribution to the effect in a multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

MBT administered over the Internet appears feasible and effective in the treatment of migraine, but no effect of hand massage was found. For increased knowledge on long-term effects and the modes of action of the present MBT program, further studies are needed.