Prevalence and characteristics of rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in adults with migraine: a cross-sectional screening study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Migraine and sleep disorders share a bidirectional relationship, but little is known about the specific association between migraine and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). The aim was to assess the prevalence of RBD and associated clinical characteristics in adults with migraine. METHODS: This analysis is part of a cross-sectional survey study conducted at the Headache Centre of the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin between August 2020 and March 2023. At the end of their regular medical consultation, patients with migraine filled out (1) the validated RBD Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ), (2) a questionnaire on REM sleep intrusions and (3) the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with a positive RBD screening. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify characteristics independently associated with features of RBD. RESULTS: A total of 751 patients (44.1 ± 13.2 years; 87.4% female) with complete RBDSQ were included in this analysis, of which 443 (58.9%) screened positive for RBD. In multivariate analysis, a positive screening for RBD was associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR] 0.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8-0.9 per 10-year increase; p = 0.005) and with features suggestive of REM sleep intrusions (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.8-10.4; p = 0.001). Migraine aura remained in the model without reaching statistical significance (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.9-1.8; p = 0.079). DISCUSSION: Symptoms of RBD are frequent in adults with migraine. Further studies including polysomnography are required to confirm this association, and to explore potential common pathophysiological mechanisms.

PACAP-38 and sex hormones in women with migraine: exploratory analysis of a cross-sectional, matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Endogeneous and exogeneous sex hormones can impact the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the relationship between female sex hormones and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide-38 (PACAP-38) concentrations in plasma of women with migraine and healthy controls, aiming to elucidate potential hormonal influences on PACAP dynamics and their relevance to migraine pathophysiology. METHODS: This analysis is part of a cross-sectional, matched-cohort study. We recruited two groups of women with episodic migraine: one with a regular menstrual cycle (M-RMC) and another undergoing combined oral contraceptive treatment (M-COC). Additionally, we included corresponding age-matched control groups without migraine for both categories (C-RMC and C-COC). For participants with a RMC, the study visits were scheduled during the perimenstrual period (menstrual cycle day 2 ± 2) and periovulatory period (day 13 ± 2). Participants using COC were examined at day 4 ± 2 of the hormone-free interval and between day 7-14 of the hormone intake phase. During these visits, PACAP-38 concentrations in plasma were measured using a commercial Enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. RESULTS: The study included 120 women, with 30 participants in each group. Women with migraine and a RMC had significantly higher PACAP-38 plasma concentrations compared to healthy controls at both study visits [day 2 ± 2: M-RMC: 2547.41 pg/ml (IQR 814.27 - 4473.48) vs. C-RMC: 1129.49 pg/ml (IQR 257.34 - 2684.88), p = 0.025; day 13 ± 2: M-RMC: 3098.89 pg/ml (IQR 1186.29 - 4379.47) vs. C-RMC: 1626.89 (IQR 383.83 - 3038.36), p = 0.028]. In contrast, PACAP-38 levels were comparable between migraine and control groups receiving COC. Women with migraine and a RMC exhibited higher PACAP-38 concentrations during menstruation compared to those using COC during the hormone-free interval. CONCLUSION: Systemic PACAP-38 concentrations in women vary based on the presence of migraine diagnosis and their hormonal status.

Influence of metabolic state and body composition on the action of pharmacological treatment of migraine.

Migraine is a disabling neurovascular disorder among people of all ages, with the highest prevalence in the fertile years, and in women. Migraine impacts the quality of life of affected individuals tremendously and, in addition, it is associated with highly prevalent metabolic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction. Also, the clinical response to drugs might be affected in patients with metabolic disease due to body composition and metabolic change. Therefore, the efficacy of antimigraine drugs could be altered in patients with both migraine and metabolic disease. However, knowledge of the pharmacology and the related clinical effects of antimigraine drugs in patients with metabolic disease are limited. Therefore, and given the clinical relevance, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the current research and hypotheses related to the influence of metabolic state and body composition on the action of antimigraine drugs. In addition, the influence of antimigraine drugs on metabolic functioning and, vice versa, the influence of metabolic diseases and its hormonal modulating medication on migraine activity is outlined. Future exploration on personalizing migraine treatment to individual characteristics is necessary to enhance therapeutic strategies, especially given its increasing significance in recent decades.

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS): prevalence and characteristics in adults with migraine.

OBJECTIVE: Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) is a sensory disorder characterized by a distorted somatosensory and/or visual perception. Additionally, distortion of time perception and symptoms of derealization/depersonalization may occur. AIWS is frequently associated with migraine. However, its prevalence, and clinical characteristics remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the prevalence and features of AIWS in individuals with migraine. We hypothesized AIWS is more frequent in migraine patients with aura than in those without aura. METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional cohort study, conducted at a tertiary headache center. Participants with migraine filled out questionnaires, providing details on demographics, headache, AIWS characteristics and the occurrence of transient visual phenomena such as fragmented vision. RESULTS: Of 808 migraine patients, 133 individuals (16.5%, mean age 44.4 ± 13.3 years, 87% women) reported AIWS symptoms throughout their lives. Micro- and/or telopsia (72.9%) were most frequent, followed by micro- and/or macrosomatognosia (49.6%), and macro- and/or pelopsia (38.3%), lasting on average half an hour. AIWS symptoms occurred in association with headache in 65.1% of individuals, and 53.7% had their first AIWS episode at the age of 18 years or earlier. Migraine patients with aura were more likely to report AIWS symptoms than those without aura (19.5% vs. 14.1%, p = 0.04). Participants with AIWS reported a higher incidence of 17 out of the 22 investigated visual phenomena. CONCLUSION: AIWS symptoms appear to be a common lifetime phenomenon in migraine patients. The correlation and clinical parallels between AIWS and migraine aura could indicate shared underlying pathomechanisms.