15 Jan Comorbid Psychiatric Conditions Can Increase Migraine Disability
Dr. Mia T. Minen
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MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr Mia Tova Minen
Department of Neurology
NYU Langone Medical Center
New York, NY 10016
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Minen: Migraine affects 12% of adults in the United States, and is thus a very common condition. There are effective treatments for migraine patients, but we also know that if patients and their doctors do not consider the psychiatric disorders that can co-occur with migraine, migraines can worsen, a term called migraine chronification. Thus, we felt that it was important to discuss the various psychiatric disorders associated with migraine, the screening tools available to assess for them, and various treatment considerations for patients with migraine and psychiatric conditions.
We also discussed potential explanations for the relationship between migraine and these psychiatric conditions.
Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Minen: If left untreated, the co-morbid psychiatric conditions can increase migraine related disability, reduce quality of life, and negatively impact treatment outcomes. It can also cause a significant increase in healthcare dollars.
Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Minen: More studies need to be done to understand the best treatments for migraine patients with these psychiatric conditions (depression, anxiety, etc.).
Medical Research: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Dr. Minen: Oftentimes, clinicians do not think to ask about these psychiatric conditions and patients do not think to bring them up to their physician. Thus, there needs to be improved awareness so that they can be discussed during the physician visit so that an appropriate treatment plan can be devised.
Citation:
Migraine and its psychiatric comorbidities
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Last Updated on January 15, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD