"Bipolar disorder with comorbid migraine is prevalent and associated with greater dysfunction and medical service utilization..."3
In that study,
- 938 patients were identified and evaluated out of the 36,984 who completed the CCHS.
- Prevalence of Migraine was 24.8% - 34.7% for women, 14.9% for men. The prevalence of Migraine in respondents without bipolar disorder was 14.7% for women, 5.8% for men.
- The odds of Migraine in people with bipolar I disorder were 40% higher than people without bipolar disorder. (see graph below)
The authors commented,
"Both bipolar males and females had a significantly higher prevalence of migraine when compared to the general population. Males with BDM (screened positive for a manic episode and migraine) have a more severe illness course and more harmful dysfunction as evinced by earlier age of onset, more anxiety comorbidity, greater use of multiple medications, disability and welfare payments, subjective ratings of health, and utilization of medical services."
They also echoed a conclusion from the 2003 study,
"The BDM phenotype may comprise a subphenotype of bipolar disorder, which is salient to pathophysiological models of these syndromes."
Summary
These studies evaluated patients with bipolar disorder for Migraine disease and established a clear connection. It would be interesting and potentially beneficial to see similar studies conducted in patients with Migraine disease to investigate whether there's a correspondingly increased incidence of bipolar disorder among Migraineurs.
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Resources:
1 R. B. Lipton, MD, S. W. Hamelsky, MPH, K. B. Kolodner, ScD, T. J. Steiner, MB, PhD and W. F. Stewart, PhD, MPH. "Migraine, quality of life, and depression." Neurology 2000;55:629-635.
2 Low, Nancy C. P., du Fort, Guillaume Galbaud & Cervantes, Pablo (2003) Prevalence, Clinical Correlates, and Treatment of Migraine in Bipolar Disorder. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 43 (9), 940-949. doi: 10.1046/j.1526-4610.2003.03184.x
3 McIntyre, Roger S., Konarski, Jakub Z., Wilkins, Kathryn, Bouffard, Beverley, Soczynska, Joanna K. & Kennedy, Sidney H. (2006) The Prevalence and Impact of Migraine Headache in Bipolar Disorder: Results From the Canadian Community Health Survey. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 46 (6), 973-982. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00469.x
© Teri Robert, 2007.
Last updated November 14, 2007.
