Nightly sleep duration, fragmentation, and quality and daily risk of migraine

Sleep Symptoms in Migraine

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review replicated and highlight novel studies of sleep in children and adults with episodic and chronic migraine.

RECENT FINDINGS

Attack-related sleep symptoms are most common in the prodrome and may represent early activation of the hypothalamus rather than migraine triggers. Interictally, patients with migraine report poor sleep quality and high rates of insomnia symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in adults and adolescents with chronic migraine and comorbid insomnia results in significant improvement on their headache burden. Thus far, objective studies report that migraine per se is a not associated with sleep apnea. At the present time, there is minimal evidence that migraine is under circadian influence. The current body of evidence suggests that the insomnia symptoms and poor sleep quality commonly reported by patients with migraine are not attack-related but occur interictally and are a marker of worsening disease. The development of clinical guidelines to approach sleep symptoms and expansion of CBT-I trials in those with episodic migraine would be clinically valuable.

Association of sleep fragmentation with general and abdominal obesity: a population-based longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the causal relationship between sleep fragmentation (SF) parameters with general and abdominal obesity in free-living conditions.

METHODS

SF parameters were assessed by ActiGraph accelerometers for 7 consecutive days. Obesity was measured at baseline and 1-year follow-up with InBody S10 body composition analyzer.

RESULTS

At baseline, the mean age of the study population was 18.7 years old (SD = 0.9) and 139 (35.7%) were male. Each 1-unit increase of baseline sleep fragmentation index (SFI) was associated with 0.08 kg/m2-increase of body mass index (BMI) (95% CI: 0.03, 0.14), 0.20%-increase of percentage of body fat (PBF) (95% CI: 0.07, 0.32), 0.15 kg-increase of fat mass (FM) (95% CI: 0.03, 0.27), 0.15 cm-increase of waist circumference (WC) (95% CI: 0.03, 0.26) and 0.91 cm2-increase of visceral fat area (VFA) (95% CI: 0.36, 1.46) at the 1-year follow-up. In addition, each 1-unit increase of baseline SFI was associated with 15% increased risk of general obesity (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.04-1.28; p = 0.006) and 7% increased risk of abdominal obesity (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.01-1.13; p = 0.021) in the following year.

CONCLUSIONS

Fragmented sleep is independently associated with an increased risk of both general and abdominal obesity. The result highlights SF as a modifiable risk factor for the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Poor healthy lifestyle and life's essential 8 are associated with higher risk of new-onset migraine: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Lifestyle are closely related to migraine. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the association between Healthy lifestyle or Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and the risk of migraine. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between Healthy lifestyle scores and Life's essential 8 scores, and migraine.

METHODS

332,895 UK Biobank participants without migraine were included. Healthy lifestyle were assessed using seven lifestyle factors, and categorized as poor, intermediate, or ideal. LE8, based on the American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health (CVH), consist of eight indicators classified as low, moderate, or high CVH. The Cox proportional hazard model was employed to examine the association between Healthy lifestyle scores, LE8 scores, and migraine, with calculations for population-attributable fraction (PAF) and cumulative incidence.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 13.58 years, participants in intermediate (HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.99) or ideal category of Healthy lifestyle (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.91) significantly reduced migraine risk compared to the poor category. Similarly, high CVH (HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.92) also lowered migraine risk, while moderate CVH (HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.02) did not show a difference compared to low CVH. If all individuals adhered to higher categories of Healthy lifestyle and LE8, approximately 11.38% and 22.05% of migraine cases could be prevented. Among individual lifestyle factors, maintaining an ideal body mass index (BMI), physical activity, sleep duration, sleep pattern, and sedentary time were associated with substantial reductions in migraine risk, by 5.65%, 0.81%, 10.16%, 16.39%, and 6.57%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides evidence that poor Healthy lifestyle and Life's Essential 8 are associated with higher risk of new-onset migraine.

Habitual caffeinated beverage consumption and headaches among adults with episodic migraine: A prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between habitual caffeinated beverage consumption and headache frequency, duration, and intensity in a prospective cohort of adults with episodic migraine.

BACKGROUND

Caffeine is a commonly ascribed headache trigger in adults with migraine and clinicians may counsel patients to avoid caffeinated beverages; however, few studies have examined this association.

METHODS

From March 2016 to August 2017, 101 adults with physician-confirmed episodic migraine completed baseline questionnaires, including information about caffeinated beverage consumption. For 6 weeks, they reported headache onset, duration, and pain intensity (scale 0-100) on twice-daily electronic diaries. Ninety-seven participants completed data collection. We examined associations between self-reported habitual caffeinated beverage consumption at baseline and headache outcomes prospectively captured over the following 6 weeks, adjusting for age, sex, and oral contraceptive use.

RESULTS

The adjusted mean headache days per month was similar among the 20 participants reporting no habitual intake (7.1 days, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.1-9.2), the 65 participants reporting 1-2 servings/day (7.4 days, 95% CI 6.1-8.7), and the 12 participants reporting 3-4 servings/day (5.9 days, 95% CI 3.3-8.4). Similarly, mean headache duration (no servings/day: 8.6 h, 95% CI 3.8-13.3; 1-2 servings/day: 8.5 h, 95% CI 5.5-11.5; 3-4 servings/day: 8.8 h, 95% CI 2.3-14.9) and intensity (no servings/day: 43.8, 95% CI 37.0-50.5; 1-2 servings/day: 43.1, 95% CI 38.9-47.4; 3-4 servings/day: 46.5, 95% CI 37.8-55.3) did not differ across levels of caffeinated beverage intake, though estimates were imprecise.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no association between habitual caffeinated beverage intake and headache frequency, duration, or intensity. These data do not support a recommendation that patients with episodic migraine should avoid consuming caffeine. Further research is needed to understand whether deviating from usual caffeine intake may trigger migraine attacks.

Association Between Electronic Diary-Rated Sleep, Mood, Energy, and Stress With Incident Headache in a Community-Based Sample

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine the diurnal links between average and changes in average levels of prospectively rated mood, sleep, energy, and stress as predictors of incident headache in a community-based sample.

METHODS

This observational study included structured clinical diagnostic assessment of both headache syndromes and mental disorders and electronic diaries that were administered 4 times per day for 2 weeks yielding a total of 4,974 assessments. The chief outcomes were incident morning (am) and later-day (pm) headaches. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the average and lagged values of predictors including subjectively rated mood, anxiety, energy, stress, and sleep quality and objectively measured sleep duration and efficiency on incident am and pm headaches.

RESULTS

The sample included 477 participants (61% female), aged 7 through 84 years. After adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates and emotional states, incident am headache was associated with lower average (ß = -0.206*; confidence intervals: -0.397 to -0.017) and a decrease in average sleep quality on the prior day (ß = -0.172*; confidence interval: -0.305, -0.039). Average stress and changes in subjective energy levels on the prior day were associated with incident headaches but with different valence for am (decrease) (ß = -0.145* confidence interval: -0.286, -0.005) and pm (increase) (ß = 0.157*; confidence interval: 0.032, 0.281) headache. Mood and anxiety disorders were not significantly associated with incident headache after controlling for history of a diagnosis of migraine.

DISCUSSION

Both persistent and acute changes in arousal states manifest by subjective sleep quality and energy are salient precursors of incident headaches. Whereas poorer sleep quality and decreased energy on the prior day were associated with incident morning headache, an increase in energy and greater average stress were associated with headache onsets later in the day. Different patterns of predictors of morning and later-day incident headache highlight the role of circadian rhythms in the manifestations of headache. These findings may provide insight into the pathophysiologic processes underlying migraine and inform clinical intervention and prevention. Tracking these systems in real time with mobile technology provides a valuable ancillary tool to traditional clinical assessments.

Unraveling the directional relationship of sleep and migraine-like pain

Migraine and sleep disorders are common co-morbidities. Patients frequently link their sleep to migraine attacks suggesting a potential causal relationship between these conditions. However, whether migraine pain promotes or disrupts sleep or whether sleep disruption can increase the risk of migraine remains unknown. We assessed the potential impact of periorbital allodynia, a measure consistent with migraine-like pain, from multiple preclinical models on sleep quantity and quality. Additionally, we evaluated the possible consequences of sleep deprivation in promoting susceptibility to migraine-like pain. Following the implantation of electroencephalogram/electromyography electrodes to record sleep, mice were treated with either single or repeated systemic injections of nitroglycerin at the onset of their active phase (i.e. nocturnal awake period). Neither single nor repeated nitroglycerin affected the total sleep time, non-rapid eye movement sleep, rapid eye movement sleep, sleep depth or other measures of sleep architecture. To account for the possible disruptive effects of the surgical implantation of electroencephalogram/electromyography electrodes, we used immobility recordings as a non-invasive method for assessing sleep-wake behaviour. Neither single nor repeated nitroglycerin administration during either the mouse sleep (i.e. daylight) or active (i.e. night) periods influenced immobility-defined sleep time. Administration of an inflammatory mediator mixture onto the dura mater at either sleep or active phases also did not affect immobility-defined sleep time. Additionally, inhalational umbellulone-induced migraine-like pain in restraint-stressed primed mice did not alter immobility-defined sleep time. The possible influence of sleep disruption on susceptibility to migraine-like pain was evaluated by depriving female mice of sleep over 6 h with novel objects, a method that does not increase circulating stress hormones. Migraine-like pain was not observed following acute sleep deprivation. However, in sleep-deprived mice, subthreshold doses of systemic nitroglycerin or dural calcitonin gene-related peptide induced periorbital cutaneous allodynia consistent with migraine-like pain. Our data reveal that while migraine-like pain does not significantly disrupt sleep, sleep disruption increases vulnerability to migraine-like pain suggesting that a therapeutic strategy focused on improving sleep may diminish migraine attacks.

Sleep Symptoms and Disorders in Episodic Migraine: Assessment and Management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We review research on sleep symptoms and disorders in patients with episodic migraine and propose a framework for evaluating sleep symptoms in this patient population.

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with episodic migraine consistently report poorer sleep on validated self-reports compared to those without migraine. In polysomnographic studies, children with migraine have objectively shorter sleep duration and lower percentage of REM sleep interictally. Prospective actigraphy studies in adults and children suggest that there are no significant changes in sleep duration, efficiency, or quality in the night before or after a migraine attack. The relationship between sleep and migraine is multifaceted. Patients with episodic migraine report poorer sleep and have higher risk of some sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep-related bruxism, and restless legs syndrome. Sleep screening questions may be incorporated into headache evaluations. Care should be taken to avoid headache medications that may exacerbate sleep symptoms. Evidence-based treatments for insomnia may be initiated while patients await CBT-I. Further studies are needed to assess whether treatment of comorbid sleep disorders results in improvement in migraine-related burden in those with episodic migraine.

Symptom tracking in endometriosis using digital technologies: Knowns, unknowns, and future prospects

Endometriosis is a common chronic pain condition with no known cure and limited treatment options. Digital technologies, ranging from smartphone apps to wearable sensors, have shown potential toward facilitating chronic pain assessment and management; however, to date, many of these tools have not been specifically deployed or evaluated in patients with endometriosis-associated pain. Informed by previous studies in related chronic pain conditions, we discuss how digital technologies may be used in endometriosis to facilitate objective, continuous, and holistic symptom tracking. We postulate that these pervasive and increasingly affordable technologies present promising opportunities toward developing decision-support tools assisting healthcare professionals and empowering patients with endometriosis to make better-informed choices about symptom management.

Migraine and sleep quality: does the association change in midlife women?

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the association between migraine and sleep quality in premenopausal versus perimenopausal women.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis from the Data Registry on the Experiences of Aging, Menopause and Sexuality was conducted using questionnaire data from premenopausal and perimenopausal women seen at women's health clinics at 3 geographic locations from 2015 to 2021. Sleep quality and duration were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Associations between poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index >5) and self-reported migraine history (Y/N) were evaluated using a multivariable logistic regression model, adjusting for body mass index, anxiety, depression, and vasomotor symptoms.

RESULTS

Of 2,067 women (mean age 43.2 years) included in the analysis, 594 (28.7%) reported a migraine history. Women were mostly white (92.2%), partnered (75.1%), and educated (86% with at least some college); 46.5% (n = 962) were premenopausal, 53.5% (n = 1,105) were perimenopausal, and 71.2% met the criteria for poor sleep. In univariate analysis, migraine history predicted poor sleep in both premenopausal and perimenopausal women ( P = 0.005 and P = 0.004, respectively). However, in multivariable analysis, migraine history remained associated with poor sleep in premenopausal women ( P = 0.044), but not in perimenopausal women ( P = 0.46).

CONCLUSIONS

A migraine history was associated with poor sleep in premenopausal women. The relationship in perimenopausal women seemed to be influenced by confounding factors that are more prevalent during the menopause transition and are known to affect the frequency of migraine and sleep disturbances, such as anxiety, depression, and vasomotor symptoms. These conditions may need to be the focus of management in migraineurs with sleep disturbances during the menopause transition.

A Micro-Longitudinal Study of Naps, Sleep Disturbance, and Headache Severity in Women with Chronic Migraine

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between headaches, naps, and nocturnal sleep in women with chronic migraine (CM) using micro-longitudinal data from diaries and actigraphy.

METHODS

20 women with CM and 20 age and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) completed self-report questionnaires, electronic diaries, and wrist actigraphy over a 4-week period. Between-group comparisons were conducted with naps (frequency and duration) as the primary variable of interest. Within-group analyses were conducted on the CM group using hierarchical linear mixed models to examine the temporal relationships between headache severity, sleep behaviors, and sleep parameters. The primary variables of interest were naps (number and duration) and nocturnal sleep efficiency (diary and actigraphy).

RESULTS

The CM group reported significantly more days with naps (25.85%) compared to the HC group (9.03%) during the study period (p = .0025). Within-group analyses in CM revealed that greater headache severity was associated with longer nap duration (p = .0037) and longer nap duration was associated with lower sleep efficiency measured using diaries (p = .0014) and actigraphy (p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Napping is more frequent in CM than HC and nap duration in CM is associated with headache severity and nocturnal sleep disturbance. These findings provide initial support for the hypothesis that daytime napping is a behavioral coping strategy used in CM that could contribute to insomnia.

Interrelationships of Sleep Quality, Obesity Severity, and Clinical Headache Features among Women with Comorbid Migraine and Obesity

Obesity and migraine are often comorbid. Poor sleep quality is also common among individuals with migraine and may be influenced by comorbidities such as obesity. However, understanding of migraine's relationship with sleep and the potential exacerbating effect of obesity remains limited. This study evaluated the associations of migraine characteristics and clinical features with sleep quality among women with comorbid migraine and overweight/obesity and assessed the interplay between obesity severity and migraine characteristics/clinical features in relation to sleep quality. Women seeking treatment for migraine and obesity (n = 127; NCT01197196) completed a validated questionnaire assessing sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-PSQI). Migraine headache characteristics and clinical features were assessed using smartphone-based daily diaries. Weight was measured in-clinic, and several potential confounders were assessed using rigorous methods. Nearly 70% of participants endorsed poor sleep quality. Greater monthly migraine days and the presence of phonophobia related to poorer sleep quality, and specifically poorer sleep efficiency, controlling for confounders. Obesity severity was neither independently associated nor interacted with migraine characteristics/features to predict sleep quality. Poor sleep quality is common among women with comorbid migraine and overweight/obesity, although obesity severity does not appear to uniquely relate to or exacerbate the association between migraine and sleep in this population. Results can guide research on mechanisms of the migraine-sleep link and inform clinical care.

The association between multidimensional sleep health and migraine burden among patients with episodic migraine

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Using the Sleep Regularity, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Satisfaction, and Duration (Ru-SATED) sleep health framework, we examined the association between multidimensional sleep health and headache burden in a cohort of 98 adults with episodic migraine.

METHODS

Participants wore wrist actigraphs and completed twice-daily electronic diaries regarding sleep, headaches, and other health habits for 6 weeks. We calculated separate composite sleep health scores from diary and actigraphy assessed measures using the Ru-SATED framework. We used adjusted multivariable linear regression models to examine the association between composite sleep health scores and headache frequency, duration, and pain intensity.

RESULTS

Among 98 participants (mean age: 35 ± 12 years; 87.8% female), 83 had healthy ranges in ≥ 3 sleep dimensions. In models adjusted for age, sex, menopausal status, physical activity and alcohol intake, good sleep health was associated with fewer headache days/month (actigraphy: 3.1 fewer days; 95% confidence interval: 0.9, 5.7; diary: 4.0 fewer days; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 6.9). Results did not change substantively with further adjustment for stress and depressive symptoms. We did not observe an association between sleep health and headache duration or intensity, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with episodic migraine, good multidimensional sleep health, but not the majority of singular dimensions of sleep, is associated with approximately 3-4 fewer headache days/month. In addition, there was no association with headache duration or intensity. These findings highlight the importance of assessing multiple dimensions of sleep and suggest that improving sleep health may be a potential clinical strategy to reduce headache frequency.

CITATION

Yoo A, Vgontzas A, Chung J, et al. The association between multidimensional sleep health and migraine burden among patients with episodic migraine. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(2):309-317.

Frequency, Demographics, Comorbidities, and Health Care Utilization by Veterans With Migraine: A VA Nationwide Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To describe the relative frequency, demographics, comorbidities, and health care utilization of veterans who receive migraine care at the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) and to evaluate differences by gender.

METHODS

This study extracted data from VHA administrative sources. Veterans diagnosed with migraine by a health care provider between fiscal year 2008 and 2019 were included. Demographics and military exposures were extracted at cohort entry. Comorbidities were extracted within 18 months of the first migraine diagnosis. Health care utilization and headache comorbidities were extracted across the study period. Differences between men and women were evaluated using χ2 tests and Student t tests.

RESULTS

More than half a million (n = 567,121) veterans were diagnosed with migraine during the 12-year study period, accounting for 5.3% of the 10.8 million veterans served in the VHA; in the most recent year of the study period (2019), the annual incidence and 1-year period prevalence of medically diagnosed migraine was 2.7% and 13.0% for women and 0.7% and 2.5% for men. In the total cohort diagnosed with migraine, 27.8% were women and 72.2% men. Among those with diagnosed migraine, a higher proportion of men vs women also had a TBI diagnosis (3.9% vs 1.1%; p < 0.001). A higher proportion of women vs men reported military sexual trauma (35.5% vs 3.5%; p < 0.001). Participants with diagnosed migraine had an average of 1.44 (SD 1.73) annual encounters for headache. Primary care was the most common headache care setting (88.1%); almost one-fifth of veterans with diagnosed migraine sought care in the ED at least once during the study period. Common comorbidities were overweight/obesity (80.3%), nonheadache pain disorders (61.7%), and mental health disorders (48.8%).

DISCUSSION

Migraine is commonly treated in the VHA setting, but likely underascertained. Most people treated for migraine in the VHA are men. Pain comorbidities and psychiatric disorders are common. Future research should identify methods to improve diagnosis and treatment and to reduce use of the emergency department.

Lifestyle factors and migraine

Migraine, a common and disabling neurological disorder, is among the top reasons for outpatient visits to general neurologists. In addition to pharmacotherapy, lifestyle interventions are a mainstay of treatment. High-quality daily diary studies and intervention studies indicate intraindividual variations in the associations between lifestyle factors (such as stress, sleep, diet, and physical activity) and migraine attack occurrence. Behaviour change interventions can directly address overlapping lifestyle factors; combination approaches could capitalise on multiple mechanisms. These findings provide useful directions for integration of lifestyle management into routine clinical care and for future research.

A importância da abordagem dos distúrbios do sono no tratamento da enxaqueca

Resumo A enxaqueca ou migrânea, é uma das queixas mais comuns na prática clínica da neurologia. É multifatorial, sendo a insônia um fator de predisposição presente em quase 50% dos casos. A fisiopatologia da migrânea é complexa e envolve alterações em diversas áreas do SNC e que encontram vias comuns com os distúrbios do sono. Entre elas, conexões hipotalâmicas, hormônios e neuropeptídeos, como orexias e monoaminérgicos. Além disso, outros distúrbios do sono específicos se relacionam com a migrânea. Atualmente, o tratamento é individualizado e além de medidas medicamentosas, é proposto mudanças nos hábitos de vida e adequações do sono. Diante disso, é uma oportunidade terapêutica a associação entre sono e enxaqueca e isso pode ser feito com base em uma abordagem clínica detalhada durante a consulta.

Sleep patterns of patients receiving home parenteral nutrition: A home-based observational study

BACKGROUND

Patients supported with home parenteral nutrition (HPN) often report poor sleep; however, limited research has been conducted to objectively measure sleep patterns of HPN-dependent patients.

METHODS

We aimed to characterize the sleep patterns of patients receiving HPN through 7-day actigraphy in a home-based observational study. Sleep measures of clinical importance were derived from actigraphy, including sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, and wake after sleep onset. Participants also completed validated sleep surveys.

RESULTS

Twenty participants completed all study procedures (mean [SD]: age = 51.6 [13.9] years, body mass index = 21.4  [4.6], and 80% female). The population median (IQR) for sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, and wake after sleep onset was 6.9 (1.1) h, 83.3% (7.8%), 11.8 (7.1) min, and 57.2 (39.9) min, respectively, and 55%, 60%, 35%, and 100% of participants did not meet the recommendations for these measures from the National Sleep Foundation. Sixty-five percent of participants reported napping at least once during the 7-day period. Based on the Insomnia Severity Index, 70% of participants were classified as having subthreshold or more severe insomnia. Based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 85% were classified as having significant sleep disturbance.

CONCLUSION

Most HPN-dependent patients likely have disrupted sleep largely driven by difficulty maintaining sleep. The extent to which HPN contributed to poor sleep cannot be elucidated from this observational study. Addressing known factors that contribute to sleep disruption and considering sleep interventions may improve the overall quality of life of patients receiving HPN.

Severe headache trajectory following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: the association with lower sodium levels

BACKGROUND

A clinical hallmark of aneurysmal SAH (aSAH) is headache. Little is known about post-aSAH headache factors which may point to underlying mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to characterize the severity and trajectory of headaches in relation to clinical features of patients with aSAH.

METHODS

This is a retrospective longitudinal study of adult patients admitted to an academic tertiary care center between 2012 and 2019 with aSAH who could verbalize pain scores. Factors recorded included demographics, aneurysm characteristics, analgesia, daily morning serum sodium concentration, and occurrence of vasospasm. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify headache pain trajectories, and clinical factors were compared between trajectories.

RESULTS

Of 91 patients included in the analysis, mean age was 57 years and 20 (22%) were male. Headache score trajectories clustered into two groups: patients with mild-moderate and moderate-severe pain. Patients in the moderate-severe pain group were younger (P<0.05), received more opioid analgesia (P<0.001), and had lower sodium concentrations (P<0.001) than patients in the mild-moderate pain group.

CONCLUSION

We identified two distinct post-aSAH headache pain trajectory cohorts and identified an association with age, analgesia, and sodium levels. Future prospective studies considering sodium homeostasis and volume status under standardized analgesic regimens are warranted.

Napping behavior in adults with episodic migraine: a six-week prospective cohort study

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Patients with migraine commonly endorse napping as a strategy for headache pain relief, but also experience high rates of sleep disturbance. To elucidate the relationship between napping behavior and migraine, we evaluated the association between napping and headache frequency, severity, and intensity among adults with episodic migraine. We also examined the association between daily napping and that night's sleep.

METHODS

In this six-week prospective cohort study, 97 adults with episodic migraine completed twice-daily headache and sleep electronic diaries and wore a wrist actigraph. We modeled the associations between napping (yes/no) and headaches with conditional logistic regression and daily napping and nighttime sleep with linear regression.

RESULTS

Over 4,353 study days, participants reported 1,059 headache days and 389 days with naps. More than 80% of participants napped during the study, with mean nap duration of 76.7 ± 62.4 min. Naps were more likely to occur on day 2 of headache 35/242 (14.5%) than on nonheadache days 279/3294 (8.5%, OR 2.2 [95% CI 1.4, 3.4]). Mean nap onset time (14:40 ± 3.3 h) was later than headache onset (12:48 ± 5.3 h). In adjusted models, napping was associated with an additional 1.1 (95% CI -1.4, 3.6) headache days/month. Naps were not associated with worse self-reported or objective sleep that night.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that naps may be an uncommonly used behavioral strategy for prolonged migraine attacks and do not contribute to nightly sleep disturbance. Future studies are needed to examine the acute analgesic effects of daytime napping in patients with migraine.

Behavioral Management of Episodic Migraine: Maintaining a Healthy Consistent Lifestyle

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To describe the most recent findings related to lifestyle behaviors and migraine.

RECENT FINDINGS

An individualized conceptualization of how lifestyle factors impact migraine activity has increased our understanding of the role of behavioral interventions for episodic migraine. Healthy diets of several types have been associated with migraine attack reduction, whereas disruptions in diet like skipping meals are associated with migraine attack onset. Both aerobic activity and lower intensity yoga interventions show promise for migraine prevention. Sleep disruption has been associated with migraine day and may have a bi-directional relationship. Both increases and decreases in stress have been associated with migraine activity. Evidence is converging around the principle that highly unusual disruptions in daily routine are particularly associated with migraine attack onset and that a consistent healthy lifestyle is a key feature of effective behavioral migraine prevention strategies.

Current Perspectives on the Impact of Chronic Migraine on Sleep Quality: A Literature Review

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies have shown that sleep problems occur in migraineurs and poor sleep causes chronification, but the mechanisms by which chronic migraine affects sleep quality are still unknown. This review aims to analyze commonly reported sleep disturbances in chronic migraine (CM) and determine the effect of CM on sleep quality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive review of all published articles on CM and sleep quality from inception to March 2022 in the literature. Clinical trials, observational studies, and case series (≥20 cases) were included. Two reviewers and a supervisor reviewed the titles and abstracts of all search results with predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. PubMed search for randomized controlled trials and open studies on CM and sleep quality reported in English between 1983 and 2022 was conducted using the keywords including chronic migraine, sleep, insomnia, sleep quality, polysomnography, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

RESULTS

A total of 535 potentially relevant articles were found. A total of 455 articles and reviews, meta-analyses published in any language other than English, with other exclusion criteria, were excluded from the review. In the remaining articles, 36 clinical studies, reviewing sleep quality and its association with migraine, were identified and reviewed. Evidence from this review shows that poor sleep and migraine chronicity are intertwined with other accompanying comorbidities and dysregulation of circadian rhythm that innovative treatments promise to bring relief to both poor sleep as well as migraine.

CONCLUSION

Sleep disorders are common in CM and the association between migraine chronification and sleep quality is bidirectional. Comorbid conditions with accompanying frequent attacks in migraine may impair sleep quality. While the maladaptive pain process worsens sleep, poor sleep quality also negatively affects migraine pain. Sleep disturbance, which is affected by worsening migraine attacks, causes deterioration in the quality of life, loss of workforce, and economic burden.

Subjective Sleep Quality and Sleep Architecture in Patients With Migraine: A Meta-analysis

Background and Objectives

Sleep disturbance is often associated with migraine. However, there is a paucity of research investigating objective and subjective measures of sleep in patients with migraine. This meta-analysis aims to determine whether there are differences in subjective sleep quality measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and objective sleep architecture measured using polysomnography (PSG) between adult and pediatric patients and healthy controls.

Methods

This review was preregistered on PROSPERO (CRD42020209325). A systematic search of 5 databases (Embase, MEDLINE, Global Health, APA PsycINFO, and APA PsycArticles, last searched on December 17, 2020) was conducted to find case–control studies that measured PSG or PSQI in patients with migraine. Pregnant participants and those with other headache disorders were excluded. Effect sizes (Hedges g) were entered into a random effects model meta-analysis. Study quality was evaluated with the Newcastle Ottawa Scale and publication bias with the Egger regression test.

Results

Thirty-two studies were eligible, of which 21 measured PSQI or Migraine Disability Assessment Test in adults, 6 measured PSG in adults, and 5 measured PSG in children. The overall mean study quality score was 5/9; this did not moderate any of the results and there was no risk of publication bias. Overall, adults with migraine had higher PSQI scores than healthy controls (g = 0.75, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54–0.96). This effect was larger in those with a chronic rather than episodic condition (g = 1.03, p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.37–1.01; g = 0.63, p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.38–0.88, respectively). For polysomnographic studies, adults and children with migraine displayed a lower percentage of rapid eye movement sleep (g = −0.22, p = 0.017, 95% CI −0.41 to −0.04; g = −0.71, p = 0.025, 95% CI −1.34 to −0.10, respectively) than controls. Pediatric patients displayed less total sleep time (g = −1.37, p = 0.039, 95% CI −2.66 to −0.10), more wake (g = 0.52, p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.08–0.79), and shorter sleep onset latency (g = −0.37, p < 0.001, 95% CI −0.54 to −0.21) than controls.

Discussion

People with migraine have significantly poorer subjective sleep quality and altered sleep architecture compared to healthy individuals. Further longitudinal empirical studies are required to enhance our understanding of this relationship.

Visual snow syndrome, the spectrum of perceptual disorders, and migraine as a common risk factor: A narrative review

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this narrative review is to explore the relationship between visual snow syndrome (VSS), migraine, and a group of other perceptual disorders.

BACKGROUND

VSS is characterized by visual snow and additional visual and nonvisual disturbances. The clinical picture suggests a hypersensitivity to internal and external stimuli. Imaging and electrophysiological findings indicate a hyperexcitability of the primary and secondary visual areas of the brain possibly due to an impairment of inhibitory feedback mechanisms. Migraine is the most frequent comorbidity. Epidemiological and clinical studies indicate that other perceptual disorders, such as tinnitus, fibromyalgia, and dizziness, are associated with VSS. Clinical overlaps and parallels in pathophysiology might exist in relation to migraine.

METHODS

We performed a PubMed and Google Scholar search with the following terms: visual snow syndrome, entoptic phenomenon, fibromyalgia, tinnitus, migraine, dizziness, persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD), comorbidities, symptoms, pathophysiology, thalamus, thalamocortical dysrhythmia, and salience network.

RESULTS

VSS, fibromyalgia, tinnitus, and PPPD share evidence of a central disturbance in the processing of different stimuli (visual, somatosensory/pain, acoustic, and vestibular) that might lead to hypersensitivity. Imaging and electrophysiological findings hint toward network disorders involving the sensory networks and other large-scale networks involved in the management of attention and emotional processing. There are clinical and epidemiological overlaps between these disorders. Similarly, migraine exhibits a multisensory hypersensitivity even in the interictal state with fluctuation during the migraine cycle. All the described perceptual disorders are associated with migraine suggesting that having migraine, that is, a disorder of sensory processing, is a common link.

CONCLUSION

VSS, PPPD, fibromyalgia, and chronic tinnitus might lie on a spectrum of perceptual disorders with similar pathophysiological mechanisms and the common risk factor migraine. Understanding the underlying network disturbances might give insights into how to improve these currently very difficult to treat conditions.

The chronobiology of migraine: a systematic review

Background

The paroxysmal nature of migraine is a hallmark of the disease. Some patients report increased attack frequency at certain seasons or towards the end of the week, while others experience diurnal variations of migraine attack onset. This systematic review investigates the chronobiology of migraine and its relation to the periodicity of attacks in existing literature to further understand the oscillating nature of migraine.

Main body

PubMed and Embase were systematically searched and screened for eligible articles with outcome measures relating to a circadian, weekly or seasonal distribution of migraine attacks. We found that the majority of studies reported morning hours (6 am–12 pm) as the peak time of onset for migraine attacks. More studies reported Saturday as weekly peak day of attack. There was no clear seasonal variation of migraine due to methodological differences (primarily related to location), however four out of five studies conducted in Norway reported the same yearly peak time indicating a possible seasonal periodicity phenomenon of migraine.

Conclusions

The findings of the current review suggest a possible role of chronobiologic rhythms to the periodicity of migraine attacks. Future studies are, however, still needed to provide more knowledge of the oscillating nature of migraine.

Migraine Is More Than Just Headache: Is the Link to Chronic Fatigue and Mood Disorders Simply Due to Shared Biological Systems?

Migraine is a symptomatically heterogeneous condition, of which headache is just one manifestation. Migraine is a disorder of altered sensory thresholding, with hypersensitivity among sufferers to sensory input. Advances in functional neuroimaging have highlighted that several brain areas are involved even prior to pain onset. Clinically, patients can experience symptoms hours to days prior to migraine pain, which can warn of impending headache. These symptoms can include mood and cognitive change, fatigue, and neck discomfort. Some epidemiological studies have suggested that migraine is associated in a bidirectional fashion with other disorders, such as mood disorders and chronic fatigue, as well as with other pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. This review will focus on the literature surrounding alterations in fatigue, mood, and cognition in particular, in association with migraine, and the suggested links to disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome and depression. We hypothesize that migraine should be considered a neural disorder of brain function, in which alterations in aminergic networks integrating the limbic system with the sensory and homeostatic systems occur early and persist after headache resolution and perhaps interictally. The associations with some of these other disorders may allude to the inherent sensory sensitivity of the migraine brain and shared neurobiology and neurotransmitter systems rather than true co-morbidity.

Sleep health, diseases, and pain syndromes: findings from an electronic health record biobank

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Implementation of electronic health record biobanks has facilitated linkage between clinical and questionnaire data and enabled assessments of relationships between sleep health and diseases in phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS). In the Mass General Brigham Biobank, a large health system-based study, we aimed to systematically catalog associations between time in bed, sleep timing, and weekly variability with clinical phenotypes derived from ICD-9/10 codes.

METHODS

Self-reported habitual bed and wake times were used to derive variables: short (<7 hours) and long (≥9 hours) time in bed, sleep midpoint, social jetlag, and sleep debt. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to test cross-sectional and prospective associations, respectively, adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and employment status and further adjusted for body mass index.

RESULTS

In cross-sectional analysis (n = 34,651), sleep variable associations were most notable for circulatory system, mental disorders, and endocrine/metabolic phenotypes. We observed the strongest associations for short time in bed with obesity, for long time in bed and sleep midpoint with major depressive disorder, for social jetlag with hypercholesterolemia, and for sleep debt with acne. In prospective analysis (n = 24,065), we observed short time in bed associations with higher incidence of acute pain and later sleep midpoint and higher sleep debt and social jetlag associations with higher incidence of major depressive disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis reinforced that sleep health is a multidimensional construct, corroborated robust known findings from traditional cohort studies, and supported the application of PheWAS as a promising tool for advancing sleep research. Considering the exploratory nature of PheWAS, careful interrogation of novel findings is imperative.

Social Distancing in Chronic Migraine during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Results from a Multicenter Observational Study

BACKGROUND

The restrictions taken to control the rapid spread of COVID-19 resulted in a sudden, unprecedented change in people's lifestyle, leading to negative consequences on general health. This study aimed to estimate the impact of such changes on migraine severity during 2020 March-May lockdown.

METHODS

Patients affected by migraine with or without aura, diagnosed by expert physicians, completed a detailed interview comprehensive of: assessment of migraine characteristics; measure of physical activity (PA) levels; measure of the intake frequency of main Italian foods; the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire investigating sleep disorders.

RESULTS

We included 261 patients with a mean age of 44.5 ± 12.3 years. During social distancing, 72 patients (28%) reported a headache worsening, 86 (33%) an improvement, and 103 (39%) a stable headache frequency. A significant decrease of the PA levels during COVID-19 quarantine in the whole study sample was observed (median total metabolic equivalent task (METs) decreased from 1170 to 510; p < 0.001). Additionally, a significant difference was reported on median ISI scores (from 7 to 8; p < 0.001), which were increased in patients who presented a stable or worsening headache.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirmed that the restrictions taken during the pandemic have affected the practice of PA levels and sleep quality in migraine. Hence, PA and sleep quality should be assessed to find strategies for an improvement in quality of life.

Associations between migraine attacks and nightly sleep characteristics among adults with episodic migraine: a prospective cohort study

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Given the unknown immediate impact of migraine on nighttime sleep, we prospectively examined whether migraine headaches were associated with subsequent shorter sleep duration, higher fragmentation, and poorer quality in a cohort of 98 adults with episodic migraine.

METHODS

Participants completed twice-daily electronic diaries and wore actigraphs continuously for 6 weeks. We examined whether days with headaches were associated with changes in that night's sleep characteristics compared with headache-free days, using adjusted multivariable linear mixed models with subject-specific intercepts.

RESULTS

Participants were 35 ± 12 years old, 88% women, with an average of five migraine headaches per month. Over 4,406 days, we observed 1,077 headache days, representing 823 discrete headaches. Average nightly objective sleep duration was 7.3 ± 1.2 hr, efficiency 89.5 ± 3.3%, and wake after sleep onset (WASO) 44.8 ± 17.0 min. Objective sleep duration was 7.3 min (95% CI: 1.5, 13.0) longer on nights following a headache day compared with nights on a headache-free day. Objective sleep efficiency, WASO, and reported sleep quality were not significantly different on headache days compared with headache-free days (sleep efficiency: -0.06 min, 95% CI: -0.3, 0.2; WASO 1.5 min, 95% CI: 0.0, 3.0; sleep quality: 1.0, 95% CI: 0.8, 1.3).

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep periods immediately following migraine headaches are not associated with shorter duration, higher disruption, or poorer sleep quality in patients with episodic migraine. These results suggest that clinical evaluation of sleep disturbance in patients with episodic migraine should be approached independently of their migraine status.

Baseline sleep quality, stress, and depressive symptoms, and subsequent headache occurrence in a six-week prospective cohort study of patients with episodic migraine

OBJECTIVES/BACKGROUND

Despite the high prevalence of sleep disturbance, stress, and depressive symptoms among patients with episodic migraine, there has been limited prospective research examining how these comorbid symptoms relate to future headache risk.

METHODS

We conducted an a priori secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of 98 adults with episodic migraine recruited through Harvard-affiliated medical centers and local college student clinics in Boston, MA. At baseline, participants completed validated questionnaires on sleep quality, stress, and depressive symptoms. Over the next 6 weeks, they recorded headaches on twice-daily diaries. We conducted time-to-event analyses to evaluate whether these baseline symptoms were associated with headache recurrence.

RESULTS

At baseline, 45/98 (46%) participants had poor sleep quality, 51/98 (52%) reported moderate/high stress levels, and 18/98 (18%) had high depressive symptom scores. Over 4,406 person-days, we observed 823 discrete headaches. In multivariable models, the hazard ratios for headache recurrence were: 1.22 (95% CI 1.02, 1.46) for people with baseline poor sleep, 1.12 (95% CI 0.93, 1.35) for those with baseline moderate/high stress compared to lower levels, and 1.31 (95% CI 1.05, 1.65) for the combination of poor sleep and moderate/high stress compared to the combination of good sleep and low stress. There was no association between depression scores and headache risk.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with episodic migraine, poor sleep was associated with a higher rate of headache recurrence over the next 6 weeks, especially among those with coexisting moderate/high stress.

Prospective cohort study of routine exercise and headache outcomes among adults with episodic migraine

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of routine exercise with headache frequency, intensity, and duration among adults with episodic migraine (EM).

BACKGROUND

A comprehensive management plan for EM must aim at reducing disability and cost of care; to do so requires optimizing acute and preventive medications, and behavior changes. Prophylactic medication use is associated with adverse events and contraindications with comorbidities. Aerobic exercise is reported to decrease migraine frequency. However, no study has evaluated a potential synergistic relation between regular exercise and preventive medication use among patients with EM.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study of adults with EMs. In that study, adults with EM (using International Classification of Headache Disorders-3 criteria confirmed by study physicians) were recruited from three academic medical centers in Boston, MA. At baseline, participants provided information on exercise, clinical and demographic characteristics, and lifestyle behaviors. We prospectively collected daily information on headaches and health behavior over at least 6 weeks using electronic questionnaires from 94 participants. We assessed the association between baseline self-reported moderate-vigorous exercise at least three times per week, at baseline, and prospectively recorded headache frequency, intensity, and duration. We further assessed whether these associations differed by the prevalent use of prophylactic migraine medication.

RESULTS

Data from 94 of 98 eligible participants were used in the analysis as 4 participants had missing data on routine exercise frequency or intensity at baseline. On average, patients who reported moderate-vigorous exercise at least three times per week at enrollment had 1.5 fewer headache days per month (-1.5 headache days/month; 95% confidence interval [CI] -3.1 to 0.1) compared to less exercise; this was not statistically significant (p = 0.066). The association between exercise and headache days per month varied by baseline use of migraine prophylaxis (p-value of interaction = 0.009). Among those who reported regular use of migraine prophylaxis, a report of moderate-vigorous exercise at least three times per week was associated with 5.1 fewer headache days (-5.1: 95% CI -8.2 to -2.0; p = 0.001) compared to those who reported lower levels of exercise. However, among those not using migraine prophylaxis, we observed only 0.4 fewer headache days per month (-0.4: 95% CI -2.2 to 1.3; p = 0.636) associated with moderate-vigorous exercise at least three times/week, a result that was not statistically significant. There was no association of self-reported moderate-vigorous exercise at least three times a week with headache intensity or duration.

CONCLUSION

In patients with EM, those who reported moderate-vigorous exercise at least three times per week had fewer headache days per month, though not statistically significant. This association was significantly stronger in those who used prophylactic medication for migraines. Exercise appeared not to be associated with the severity or duration of headaches. Routine moderate-vigorous exercise may be an important adjunctive strategy for improving headache burden in patients eligible for migraine prophylaxis.

Prospective cohort study of daily alcoholic beverage intake as a potential trigger of headaches among adults with episodic migraine

PURPOSE

To determine whether alcohol intake is associated with occurrence of headaches on the following day.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, adults with episodic migraine completed electronic diaries every morning and evening for at least six weeks in March 2016-October 2017. Every day, participants reported alcohol intake, lifestyle factors, and details about each headache. We constructed within-person fixed-effect models adjusted for time-varying factors to calculate odds ratios for the association between 1,2,3,4, or 5+ servings of alcohol and headache the following day. We also calculated the adjusted risk of headache the following day for each level of intake.

RESULTS

Among 98 participants who reported 825 headaches over 4,467 days, there was a statistically significant linear association (p-trend = 0.03) between alcohol and headache the following day. Compared to no alcohol, 1-2 servings were not associated with headaches, but 5+ servings were associated with a 2.08-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-3.73) odds of headache. The adjusted absolute risk of headaches was 20% (95%CI 19%-22%) on days following no alcohol compared with 33% (95%CI 22%-44%) on days following 5+ servings.

CONCLUSION

1-2 servings of alcoholic beverages were not associated with higher risk of headaches the following day, but 5+ servings were associated with higher risk. KEY MESSAGES 1-2 servings of alcoholic beverages were not associated with a higher risk of headaches on the following day, but higher levels of intake may be associated with higher risk. Five or more servings were associated with 2.08 times (95% confidence interval 1.16-3.73 the odds of headache on the following day. The adjusted absolute risk of headaches was 20% (95%CI 19%-22%) on days following no alcohol consumption compared with 33% (95% CI 22%-44%) on days following 5+ servings.

Associations of daily weather and ambient air pollution with objectively assessed sleep duration and fragmentation: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Given the lack of studies examining the associations between daily weather and air pollution with nightly objective sleep over multiple weeks, we quantified these associations in a prospective cohort of healthy participants with episodic migraine.

METHODS

Ninety-eight participants completed daily electronic diaries and wore an actigraph for an average of 45 ds, and a total 4406 nights of data were collected. Nightly sleep characteristics including duration, wake after sleep onset (WASO), and efficiency were assessed using wrist actigraphy. Daily weather parameters and air pollution levels were collected from local weather station and ground-level air quality monitors. We used linear fixed effects models adjusting for participant, day of the week, and day of the year (for weather analysis), and additionally adjusted for temperature and relative humidity (for air pollution analysis).

RESULTS

The participants were 35 ± 12 yrs old and 86 were women. A 10 °F higher daily average temperature was associated with 0.88 (95% CI: 0.06, 1.70) minutes longer WASO and 0.14% (95% CI: -0.01%, 0.30%) lower sleep efficiency on that night. A 14 parts per billion (ppb) (interquartile range) higher daily maximum eight-h ozone was associated with 7.51 (95% CI: 3.23, 11.79) minutes longer sleep duration on that night. Associations did not differ between cold (October-March) and warm (April-September) seasons.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher daily ozone was associated with longer sleep duration and modest associations were observed between higher temperature and lower WASO and lower efficiency.

Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Women With Chronic Migraines

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND

Insomnia commonly co-occurs with chronic migraines (CM). Non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia in CM patients remain understudied. This is a proof-of-concept study, which aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I) for individuals with CM and insomnia (CM-I) in the United States.

METHODS

We recruited 42 females with CM-I symptoms from a U.S.-based observational cohort and from the general population via advertisements. Within a multiple baseline design, participants were randomized to receive dCBT-I after 2, 4, or 6 weeks of completing baseline sleep diaries. DCBT-I was scrutinized against benchmarks for completion rates (≥90% to complete dCBT-I), acceptability (≥80% to find dCBT-I acceptable), and posttreatment changes in insomnia symptoms (≥50% indicating a clinically relevant improvement in their insomnia symptoms). As a secondary measure, we also reported percentage of individuals reverting to episodic migraines.

RESULTS

Out of 42 randomized, 35 (83.3%) completed dCBT-I within the 12 weeks provided. Of these completers, 33 (94.3%) reported being satisfied (n = 16) or very satisfied (n = 17) with treatment. Additionally, 65.7% of completers responded to treatment as per universally accepted criteria for insomnia. Lastly, 34% of completers reverted from CM to episodic migraine.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence for the feasibility and acceptability of dCBT-I in patients with CM-I complaints. Effects of improving insomnia and migraines were suggested. These results indicate that a randomized controlled trial is needed to determine the efficacy of dCBT-I in CM patients.