Anger and impulsiveness in migraine patients with and without aura

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults With Migraine

INTRODUCTION

Several studies have shown increased occurrence of migraine in ADHD patients. However, there is less evidence on whether migraine patients also have a higher ADHD frequency. The aim of this paper is determining whether the prevalence of ADHD symptoms or impulsivity is higher in patients with episodic migraine.

METHODS

An observational cohort study has been conducted. Patients with episodic migraine were included. The ADHD Rating scale, the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, and the scale of impulsiveness of Plutchik were used.

RESULTS

The mean value of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity scores on the ADHD scale was 5 ± 3.8 in cases and 2.7 ± 2.2 in controls (p < .00001), 4 ± 3.2 in cases and 2.5 ± 2.4 in controls (p = .000621) and 2 ± 1.5 in cases and 1.1 ± 1 in controls (p = .000407), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Adults with migraine have a higher prevalence of ADHD symptoms. This should be considered when assessing these patients.

Impulsivity prevalence in migraine patients without and with medication overuse

BACKGROUND

Migraine is one of the most common disorders in neurological clinical practice and is part of the group of primary headaches. It often affects individuals in the age group of 25-55 years, when people are at their peak of economic productivity. Many patients ultimately overuse analgesics. Overuse is defined by the use of analgesics for at least 15 times a month - within a minimal three-month period. Impulsivity and migraine cause losses in the lives of individuals suffering from them, as they can compromise these individuals' social, emotional, and professional spheres. Regarding the professional sphere, it results in economic losses compared with the overall population.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the presence of impulsive behavior in patients with migraine and with medication-overuse migraine.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study on 210 female and male patients; 140 were diagnosed with migraine according to criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders and were subdivided into two groups (70 patients each). One of these groups was composed of medication-overuse patients; the control group was composed of non-migraine patients (70 patients). All patients were evaluated with the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11).

RESULTS

The group of migraine patients accounted for the highest impulsivity level, followed by the control group and, finally, by the medication-overuse group. However, these differences did not attain statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

It was not possible to establish a clear connection between migraine and impulsive behavior. Association was higher among migraineurs without medication overuse.