ISLAMABAD, January 29 (Online): According to the American Migraine Foundation, around 37 million people (including both adults and children) in the United States experience these painful headaches.
\nMigraine attacks can be quite debilitating for people who experience them and oftentimes certain triggers can contribute to these headaches occurring.<\/p>\n
Researchers in the new study took a closer look at potential migraine triggers. Their study required participants to track multiple metrics daily, which set apart the study from prior research.
\nOne of the key study findings showed that participants who perceived a reduced quality of sleep the night before had a 22% increased chance of a migraine attack the following morning.
\nThe study was published in the journal Neurology.<\/p>\n
Collecting data from people with migraine
\nThe symptoms of migraine attacks vary from person to person.
\nAccording to the National Institutes of HealthTrusted Source, some symptoms of a migraine attack include severe pain on one side of the head as well as nausea and sensitivity to light. The attacks can last up to 3 days.
\nWhile there are migraine medications such as topiramate (Topamax) and sumatriptan (Imitrex) to help prevent these headaches from occurring or lessen symptoms, they are not 100% effective.<\/p>\n
Researchers wanted to learn more about predicting and possibly preventing these attacks through tracking by mobile phone apps and electronic diaries.
\nThe study had a participant pool of 477 people, with the youngest participant being 7 years of age and the oldest participant being 84 years of age. There were 291 female participants and 186 male participants, which the study authors mentioned set their research apart from prior work since other studies typically have mostly female participants.
\nThe participants had to report their emotional state throughout the day in an electronic diary. The emotional states included:
\n\u2022\tanxiety
\n\u2022\tmood
\n\u2022\tenergy
\n\u2022\tstress
\nThe participants also reported on both their perceived sleep quality and sleep duration with mobile apps. The participants wore actigraphy monitors, which look similar to smartwatches and measure activity (including sleep times, wake-up times, and any sleep disruptions).<\/p>\n
Researchers said this allowed them to see how the participants\u2019 actual sleep time and sleep quality compared to how the participants perceived their sleep.
\nParticipants also reported any migraine attacks they experienced as well as the timing of these headaches.
\nThe participants logged the information for 2 weeks. After collecting the information, the researchers performed a statistical analysis of the data.
\nPoor perceived sleep increases migraine risk
\nThe researchers said the results showed a connection between perceived sleep quality and energy changes and an increased risk of migraine attacks.
\nPeople who felt like their sleep quality was lower experienced a 22% increased chance of having migraine the following morning. However, this did not impact afternoon\/evening headache chances.<\/p>\n
Compared to the sleep results shown in the actigraphy monitor, there was a discrepancy between perceived sleep quality and actual sleep quality.
\nThe researchers also found that lower energy levels the prior day increased the chances of a morning attack the following day by 16%. Conversely, people who experienced a much higher energy level than normal combined with a higher stress level than normal saw a 17% increased chance of migraine the next day in either the afternoon or evening.
\nThe scientists said they did not find any connection between mood issues such as depression or anxiety levels and an increased risk of migraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurprisingly, we found no link between a person\u2019s anxiety and depression symptoms \u2014 either having more symptoms or having higher-than-average levels of symptoms \u2014 and their likelihood of having a migraine attack the next day,\u201d said Kathleen MerikangasTrusted Source, PhD, a study author and National Institutes of Health investigator.
\nOverall, researchers said the study offers more insight into how sleep and energy patterns can be used to predict migraine and contribute to prevention. Tracking these patterns can give people with a history of migraine the ability to improve both self-awareness and the management of their condition.<\/p>\n
Circadian rhythm and migraine
\nMerikangas mentioned that their findings \u201chighlight the role of circadian rhythms in headache.\u201d
\nCircadian rhythms refer to the 24-hour cycle of being awake and sleeping. As noted by the Sleep Foundation, circadian rhythms \u201cdictate multiple processes in the body, including alertness or sleepiness, appetite, and body temperature.\u201d
\nDisruption of circadian rhythms can affect how one feels throughout the day and can even contribute to memory issues.
\nDr. Mark Burish, the director of the Will Erwin Headache Research Center with the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston who wasn\u2019t involved in the research, spoke with Medical News Today and addressed the study in regards to circadian rhythms.<\/p>\n
\u201cResearch suggests that approximately half of patients with migraine have a circadian pattern to their headaches, with the headaches occurring at about the same time each day,\u201d Burish said. \u201cA specific gene variant in patients causes both migraine and a circadian rhythm disorder called advanced sleep phase disorder, where patients go to bed and wake up much earlier than most other people.\u201d
\nBurish thinks that an increased understanding of how sleep factors into migraine will help with prevention.
\n\u201cWe think circadian rhythms might be important in the prevention of migraine because a circadian-related molecule called melatonin is sometimes used as a preventive treatment for migraine based on positive clinical trial data,\u201d noted Burish.
\nBurish also thinks the improved understanding can help develop better medication and help people make behavioral changes to reduce the frequency of headaches.<\/p>\n
\u201cAligning our eating, exercise, sleeping, and other behaviors to our individual circadian rhythm [may] help prevent headaches,\u201d he said.
\nDr. Joey Gee, a neurologist with Providence Mission Hospital in California who was not involved in the study, also spoke with Medical News Today.
\n\u201cThere are specific patterns of headaches that may come on more frequently and intensely depending on the sleep cycle \u2013 this can include migraines,\u201d Gee said.
\nFor people who experience migraine, Gee emphasized the importance of sleep hygiene.
\n\u201cIt is often very important to maintain an adequate sleep schedule,\u201d commented Gee. \u201cGoing to sleep when tired and getting the necessary hours to feel rested is very important in all patients with chronic headaches, specifically those with migraine and cluster headaches.\u201d
\n\u201cThe importance of this kind of study will only aid in supporting our knowledge about encouraging patients with headache disorders to improve their overall sleep behavior,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, January 29 (Online): According to the American Migraine Foundation, around 37 million people (including both adults and children) in the United States experience these painful headaches. Migraine attacks can be quite debilitating for people who experience them and oftentimes certain triggers can contribute to […]<\/p>\n
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