Using Search Engines to Investigate Shared Migraine Experiences

Abstract

Objectives To investigate migraine patterns in the United States using Google search data and utilize this information to better understand societal-level trends. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate time-series relationships between migraines and social factors. Background Extensive research has been done on clinical factors associated with migraines, yet population-level social factors have not been widely explored. Migraine internet search data may provide insight into migraine trends beyond information that can be gleaned from other sources. Methods In this longitudinal analysis of open access data, we performed a time-series analysis in which about 12 years of Google Trends data (January 1st 2004 to August 15th 2016) was assessed. Data points were captured at a daily level and Google’s 0 to 100 adjusted scale was used as the primary outcome to enable the comparison of relative popularity in the migraine search term. We hypothesized that the volume of relative migraine Google searches would be affected by societal aspects such as day of the week, holidays, and novel social events. Results Several recurrent social factors that drive migraine searches were identified. Of these, day of the week had the most significant impact on the volume of Google migraine searches. On average, Mondays accumulated 13.31 higher relative search volume than Fridays (95% CI: 11.12 to 15.51, p=<0.001). Surprisingly, holidays were associated with lower relative migraine search volumes. Christmas Day had 13.84 lower relative search volumes (95% CI: 6.26 to 21.43, p=<0.001) and Thanksgiving had 20.18 lower relative search volumes (95% CI: 12.55 to 27.82, p=<0.001) than days that were not holidays. Certain novel social events and extreme weather also appear to be associated with relative migraine Google search volume. Conclusions Social factors play a crucial role in explaining population level migraine patterns, and thus, warrant further exploration.

Seasonal changes of internet searching suggest circannual rhythmicity of primary headache disorders

“…Other studies conducted in a pediatric population living in the United States support this annual distribution of consultations, which has been linked to school stressors 10–12 . A similar distribution of interest was described in a study of migraine‐associated internet searches in the United States 13 . The repetitive pattern of decreasing search volumes in December and summer with peaks around February and fall was present throughout the 12 years of that study.…”

“…[10][11][12] A similar distribution of interest was described in a study of migraineassociated internet searches in the United States. 13 The repetitive pattern of decreasing search volumes in December and summer with peaks around February and fall was present throughout the 12 years of that study. The circadian rhythmicity of EM attacks is well-established, but this temporal association less so.…”

“…Differences were observed for the topic of headache in Northern Europe (p = 0.001) and for headache and migraine in Central Europe (p < 0.001 and p = 0.016 respectively) but not in the southern region. TTH and CH were apparently less searched and no evident trends regarding them were present (median, 22 [0-44] for for CH; direct popularity comparison: headache 56 [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63], migraine 16 [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24], TTH 2 [1-2], and CH 2 [1][2]; between-month differences, p = 0.168 and p = 0.081 respectively).Conclusions: Public attention on headache-related topics on the internet is distributed according to a significant trend of increased searching around spring and autumn. It suggests that a large number of patients may experience some level of seasonal variation in their headaches.…”

“Dr. Google, I am in Pain”—Global Internet Searches Associated with Pain: A Retrospective Analysis of Google Trends Data

“…Globally, Google is the most popular search engine [16], and search engine queries may reflect the actual problems experienced by Web users. The Internet traffic of Google users can be analyzed using Google Trends (GT), which has been used to investigate user interest in Headache [17,18], Toothache [19], and foot and ankle pain [20]. However, to our knowledge, no study has compared the global user interest in pain-related information using Google.…”

Sentiment analysis of real-world migraine tweets for population research

“…tweets about migraine activity). 7,8,13,14 Such behavioral characteristics and their sentimental profiles could in return help guide clinical researchers making clinical decisions or improving the quality of care at the population level. A previous study showed that migraine patients actively shared their experience via Twitter and that it was a powerful data source for research.…”