Migraine in 746 patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Migraine adds to the burden of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). The ID-migraine is a useful tool for screening migraine, and the Migraine Disability Assessment questionnaire can evaluate disease burden. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence and burden of migraine in patients with MS. Methods: Patients diagnosed with MS attending specialized MS units were invited to answer an online survey if they also experienced headache. Results: The study included 746 complete responses from patients with MS and headache. There were 625 women and 121 men, and 69% of all the patients were aged between 20 and 40 years. Migraine was identified in 404 patients (54.1%) and a moderate-to-high burden of disease was observed in 68.3% of the patients. Conclusion: Migraine is a frequent and disabling type of primary headache reported by patients with MS.

Headache and immunological/autoimmune disorders: a comprehensive review of available epidemiological evidence with insights on potential underlying mechanisms

“…The first association between MS and headache was described in 1960 [54,55]. Subsequently, several studies assessed the prevalence of migraine and TTH in MS patients and reported rates between 2 and 67% for migraine [56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74] and between 12.2 and 55% for tensiontype headache (TTH) [61,67]. This latter primary headache seems to occur more frequently in progressive form of MS. [61] Particularly for migraine, the occurrence was considerably higher in females.…”

Immunologic aspects of migraine: A review of literature

“…Several studies have investigated the prevalence or incidence of migraine headaches among patients with MS. Fragoso et al ( 186 ) showed that 746 patients (625 women and 121 men) had both MS and headaches. Among them, 54.1% (404 patients) were diagnosed with migraines, and 68.3% had a moderate to severe disease burden observed in 68.3% of those patients.…”

“…Conversely, several patients with MS had migraines before MS onset; therefore, these cases do not support the idea explained before. It is shown that some treatments for MS, such as interferon-beta ( 189 , 190 ), fingolimod, and natalizumab, might increase the frequency and severity of migraine attacks in patients with MS, and migraine certainly is a frequent type of primary headache reported in patients suffering from MS ( 186 ).…”

Recognizing migraine in patients with multiple sclerosis improves the quality of health care

“…The study of Fragoso YD et al addressing the presence of migraine in MS patients published in this number of the journal Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria is particularly timely 8 . It is a cross-sectional multicenter study conducted in a large population of patients with MS attended in specialized MS units, with at least one year of diagnosis, who also complained of headache.…”