1.Anxiety and depression in association with polypharmacy in patients with migraine: A sub-analysis of the PNA One Database - Headache (PNA1DB-Headache)
Loiue Stihl L. Balanquit ; Rogie Marie Ignacio-alcantara
Philippine Journal of Neurology 2025;28(1):36-51
BACKGROUND
Polypharmacy in patients with chronic disease such as Migraine Headache poses potential harm in patients such that psychological distress may come in. In relation to psychological distress, Migraine Headache patients with multiple drug use are at increased risk of anxiety and depression.
OBJECTIVESThe main objective of the study is to determine the association between anxiety and depression to polypharmacy in migraine headache patients by using the data in the PNA One Headache Database.
METHODOLOGYWe utilized the data obtained from the Philippine Neurological Association One (PNA-1) Headache Database from 2021 to 2024 and determine the association between Anxiety and Depression to Polypharmacy in patients with Migraine.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe number of medications taken by patients does not significantly differ across depression and anxiety levels, indicating that polypharmacy has no impact on patient’s depression and anxiety. However, the study found that patients with anxiety have more tendency to report more severe headache.
CONCLUSIONThe study highlights that participants, primarily middle-aged women, experience chronic headaches with high pain severity, often lasting for hours. Educational attainment may influence headache management compliance with a large proportion having only elementary education. Headache onset typically begins in early adulthood, and medication effectiveness often diminishes over time suggesting potential tolerance issues. Anxiety is associated with reporting of increased headache severity while depression does not significantly impact headache characteristics or polypharmacy. The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions and revised treatment strategies to improve headache management outcomes.
Human ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Headache ; Migraine Disorders ; Polypharmacy
2.Burden of Headache Disorders in China and its Provinces, 1990-2021.
Zhe LIU ; Xue Hua HU ; Lin YANG ; Jin Lei QI ; Jiang Mei LIU ; Li Jun WANG ; Mai Geng ZHOU ; Peng YIN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(5):547-556
OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the prevalence and burden of headache disorders in China and its provinces from 1990 to 2021.
METHODS:
Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021, the number of prevalent cases, prevalence rate, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized DALY rates were analyzed by sex, age group, and province for headache disorders and their subtypes (migraine and tension-type headache [TTH]) between 1990 and 2021. Percentage changes during this period were also estimated.
RESULTS:
In 2021, approximately 426 million individuals in China were affected by headache disorders, with an age-standardized prevalence rate of 27,582.61/100,000. The age-standardized DALY rate for all headache disorders was 487.15/100,000. Between 1990 and 2021, the number of prevalent cases increased by 37.78%, while the prevalence of all headache disorders, migraine, and TTH increased by 6.92%, 7.57%, and 7.86%, respectively. The highest prevalence was observed in the 30-34 age group (39,520.60/100,000). Migraine accounted for a larger proportion of DALYs attributable to headache disorders, whereas TTH has a greater impact on its prevalence. In 2021, the highest age-standardized DALY rates for headache disorders were observed in Heilongjiang (617.85/100,000) and Shanghai (542.86/100,000).
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of headache disorders is increasing in China. Effective health education, improve diagnosis and treatment are essential, particularly for middle-aged working populations and women of childbearing age.
Humans
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Female
;
Male
;
Adult
;
Middle Aged
;
Prevalence
;
Young Adult
;
Adolescent
;
Aged
;
Child
;
Headache Disorders/epidemiology*
;
Disability-Adjusted Life Years
;
Child, Preschool
;
Cost of Illness
;
Infant
;
Aged, 80 and over
3.Evaluation of headache in primary care.
Endrik H. SY ; Ma. Concepcion Ashley MAPAGU-BALAG-EY ; John Michael D. DEBLOIS
The Filipino Family Physician 2025;63(2):195-200
Headaches are among the top reasons for consultation in primary care clinics and can be classified either as primary or secondary. Primary headaches are unrelated to any medical condition and usually benign in nature. Secondary headaches are caused by an underlying pathology or condition. The mnemonic “HEADACHES” may be used to remember the red flags and it includes: Headache of sudden onset, Elderly onset, Altered mental status or neurologic deficits, Different or new pattern, Associated systemic symptoms, Cancer or immunocompromised state, Headache with exertion or position change, Eye findings and Secondary risk factors. Patients presenting with red flags are suggested to have underlying causes or secondary headaches and presence of which warrants diagnostic investigation or referral to specialists. Diagnostic imaging is not routinely recommended for patients with headache unless presenting with red flags or with suspected underlying pathology.
Human ; Headache ; Primary Health Care ; Primary Care ; Migraine Headache ; Migraine Disorders
4.Expert consensus on clinical trials of preventive treatment of adult migraine in China.
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2023;62(5):494-506
Migraine is the most common disabling primary headache with a significant socioeconomic burden. At present, some emerging drugs for migraine preventive treatment are under investigation internationally, which significantly promote the progress of migraine treatment. However, only few of this trial for migraine treatment are explored in China. In order to promote and standardize controlled clinical trials of migraine preventive therapy in China, and to provide methodological guidance for the design, implementation and evaluation of clinical trials, the Headache Collaborators of Chinese Society of Neurology formulated this consensus.
Humans
;
Adult
;
Consensus
;
Migraine Disorders/therapy*
;
Headache
;
China
;
Neurology
5.Expert consensus on the medical quality evaluation and improvement suggestions of in patients with chronic migraine.
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2023;62(5):507-512
Migraine is a highly disabling primary headache disease, accompanied by nausea, emesis, photophobia and phonophobia. Chronic migraine is usually developed from episodic migraine, and usually comorbids with anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, further aggravating the disease burden. At present, the clinical diagnosis and treatment of migraine in China are not standard, and the migraine medical quality control evaluation system is lacking. In order to achieve standardized diagnosis and treatment of migraine, headache collaborators of Chinese Society of Neurology, based on national and international clinical research on diagnosis and treatment of migraine and combined with the current situation of China's medical system, drafted the expert consensus on the medical quality evaluation of inpatients with chronic migraine.
Humans
;
Consensus
;
Migraine Disorders/diagnosis*
;
Nausea
;
Photophobia/diagnosis*
;
Headache
6.Bloodletting at auricular dorsal vein combined with auricular point sticking for menstrual migraine of qi stagnation and blood stasis and its effect on serum levels of E2 and 5-HT.
Rui LI ; Yan LU ; Meng-Meng WANG ; Dian-Hui YANG
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2023;43(4):427-431
OBJECTIVE:
To observe the clinical effect of bloodletting at auricular dorsal vein combined with auricular point sticking on menstrual migraine (MM) of qi stagnation and blood stasis, and explore its possible mechanism.
METHODS:
A total of 102 cases of MM with qi stagnation and blood stasis were randomly divided into an observation group (51 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (51 cases, 2 cases dropped off). The patients in the observation group were treated with bloodletting at auricular dorsal vein combined with auricular point sticking. The bloodletting was performed at vein at upper 1/3 of the dorsalis near the ear helix; the auricular point sticking was performed at Pizhixia (AT4), Neifenmi (CO18), Jiaogan (AH6a), Nie (AT2), Zhen (AT3), Shenmen (TF4) and Yidan (CO11). The auricular points of both ears were alternate used. From 7 days before the onset of menstruation, bloodletting at auricular dorsal vein was given once every 7 days, 3 times were taken as a course of treatment, and 1 course of treatment was given; the auricular point sticking was given once every 3 days, and 6 times of treatment were given. The patients in the control group were treated with oral administration of flunarizine hydrochloride capsules. From 7 days before the onset of menstruation, flunarizine hydrochloride was given 2 capsules per time, once a day for 3 weeks. The menstrual headache index and visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the two groups were observed before treatment, one menstrual cycle into treatment and the first and the second menstrual cycle after treatment; the migraine-specific quality of life questionnaire (MSQ) score and the serum levels of estradiol (E2) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were compared before treatment and one menstrual cycle into treatment; the clinical efficacy was evaluated at one menstrual cycle into treatment.
RESULTS:
Compared before treatment, the menstrual headache index and VAS scores were reduced at one menstrual cycle into treatment and the first and second menstrual cycle after treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the MSQ scores and the serum levels of E2 and 5-HT in the two groups were increased at one menstrual cycle into treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 95.8% (46/48) in the observation group, which was higher than 73.5% (36/49) in the control group (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Bloodletting at auricular dorsal vein combined with auricular point sticking could relieve headache intensity, improve the quality of life in patients with MM of qi stagnation and blood stasis, which may be achieved by raising the serum levels of E2 and 5-HT to improve the level of hormone in the body.
Female
;
Humans
;
Acupuncture, Ear
;
Bloodletting
;
Serotonin
;
Capsules
;
Flunarizine
;
Qi
;
Quality of Life
;
Migraine Disorders/drug therapy*
;
Headache/therapy*
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Acupuncture Points
7.Constituent elements and characteristics of ancient acupuncture and moxibustion prescriptions: taking migraine and headache as an example.
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2023;43(4):479-482
The basic constituent elements of ancient acupuncture prescriptions and moxibustion prescriptions for migraine and headache are extracted and summarized. The frequency and proportion of each element are counted and its characteristics are analyzed. The basic constituent elements of ancient acupuncture and moxibustion prescriptions includes five aspects: disease symptoms (main symptoms, concurrent symptoms, etiology and pathogenesis), disease type, acupuncture and moxibustion site (acupoint name, site name, meridian name), manipulation method (acupuncture method, reinforcing and reducing method, blood pricking method, moxibustion method) and curative effect. Acupuncture and moxibustion prescriptions are essential for recording the disease symptoms, while the acupuncture and moxibustion site and manipulation methods are the two core elements of ancient acupuncture and moxibustion prescriptions, which are also the premise to ensure that acupuncture and moxibustion prescriptions have good reference value.
Humans
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Moxibustion
;
Acupuncture Therapy
;
Meridians
;
Acupuncture Points
;
Headache/therapy*
;
Migraine Disorders/therapy*
8.Brain iron deposition increases in the bilateral substantia nigra of patients with medication-overuse headache: a quantitative susceptibility mapping analysis.
Xin LI ; He ZHAO ; Mengqi LIU ; Zhiye CHEN
Journal of Southern Medical University 2023;43(11):1833-1838
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate iron accumulation level over the whole brain and explore the possible neuromechanism of medication-overuse headache (MOH) using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).
METHODS:
Thirty-seven MOH patients and 27 normal control subjects were enrolled in the study for examinations with both a multiecho gradient echo magnetic resonance (MR) sequence and brain high resolution structural imaging. A voxel-based analysis was performed to detect the brain regions with altered iron deposition, and the quantitative susceptibility mapping values of the positive brain regions were extracted. Correlation analysis was performed between the susceptibility values and the clinical variables of the patients.
RESULTS:
In patients with MOH, increased susceptibility values were found mainly in the bilateral substantia nigra (SN) (MNI coordinate: 8, -18, -14; -6, -16, -14) as compared with the normal control subjects (P < 0.001), but these alterations in iron deposition were not significantly correlated with the clinical variables of the patients (P > 0.05). The susceptibility value in the left SN had an area under curve (AUC) of 0.734, and at the cut-off value of 0.077, its diagnostic sensitivity was 72.97% and its specificity was 70.37% for distinguishing MOH from normal controls; The susceptibility value in the right SN had an AUC of 0.699 with a diagnostic sensitivity of 72.97% and a specificity of 62.96% at the cut-off value of 0.084.
CONCLUSION
Increased iron deposition occurs in the bilateral SN of MOH patients, which provides a new insight into the mechanism of mesocorticolimbic dopamine system dysfunction in MOH. QSM technique can be used as a non-invasive means for quantitative analysis of brain iron deposition in migraine neuroimaging.
Humans
;
Brain
;
Substantia Nigra
;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*
;
Headache Disorders, Secondary
;
Headache
;
Iron
;
Brain Mapping/methods*
9.The profile of headaches and migraine amongst medical students and its association to stress level, disability and self-management practices
Anuradha Thiagarajan ; Noor Azah Aziz ; Chai Eng Tan ; Noor Azimah Muhammad
Malaysian Family Physician 2022;17(2):81-88
Introduction:
Migraine is the most common headache affecting young people that impairs their functional ability. This study aimed to determine the frequency of migraines among Malaysian medical students, the association between migraines, stress level, and functional disability among these students, and describe their self-management practices.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in a private medical school in Penang state. All medical students in the study site were screened for the presence of headache symptoms and the diagnosis of migraine using a self-administered questionnaire comprising International Headache Society (IHS) diagnostic criteria. Other domains that were assessed were perceived stress level and functional disability, which were measured using the
Perceived Stress Scale and the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), respectively. The students’ self-management practices for their headaches were determined using a descriptive survey.
Results:
A total of 374 medical students participated in this study and 157 (42%) students reported experiencing headaches. More than half (n=97, 61.8%) of those with headaches fulfilled the IHS criteria for migraines. Migraines were significantly associated with functional disability compared with non-migraine headaches (p<0.001); however, no significant difference in stress levels were reported between the two groups. During migraine attacks, sleep (n=73, 60.33%) and self-medication (n=56, 69.14%) were the most common self-management practices. Only 11.46% of the 157 students with headaches consulted a doctor.
Conclusion
A high proportion of medical students suffered from headaches and more than half of them had migraines. Migraine headaches were associated with significant functional disability. Very few students sought medical consultation and most students chose to self-manage their headaches.
Migraine Disorders
;
Students
;
Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute
;
Headache


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