Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The Psychiatric Comorbidities of Cluster Headache

  • Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias (MS Matharu, Section editor)
  • Published:
Current Pain and Headache Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although the comorbidity of migraine has been extensively studied, the relationships between cluster headache and psychiatric disease have not been well-addressed. In this review the available literature concerning cluster headache and depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, aggression, suicide, and their implications are discussed. Potential mechanisms, confounding variables, and unanswered questions are also addressed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

  1. Haut S, Bigal M, Lipton R. Chronic disorders with episodic manifestations: focus on epilepsy and migraine. Lancet Neurol. 2006;5:148–57.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Lipton RB, Pan J. Is migraine a progressive brain disease? JAMA. 2004;291:493–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Feinstein A. The pretherapeutic classification of co-morbidity in chronic disease. J Chronic Dis. 1970;23:455–68.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Lipton R, Scher A, Silberstein S, Bigal M. Migraine diagnosis and comorbidity. In: Silberstein S, Lipton R, Dodick D, editors. Wolff's headache and other head pain. 8th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, USA; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bigal ME, Lipton RB. Clinical course in migraine: conceptualizing migraine transformation. Neurology. 2008;71:848–55.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Markley HG, Buse DC. Cluster headache: myths and the evidence. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2006;10:137–41.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Evers S. Cognitive processing in cluster headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2005;9:109–12.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Smitherman TA, Rains JC, Penzien DB. Psychiatric comorbidities and migraine chronification. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2009;13:326–31.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Ashina S, Buse DC, Manack AN, Serrano D, Maizels M, Turkel C, et al. Depression: a risk factor for migraine chronification: results from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study (Abstract). Neurology. 2010;74 Suppl 2:A113.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ashina S, Buse DC, Maizels M, Manack A, Serrano D, Turkel CC, et al. Self-reported anxiety as a risk factor for migraine chronification: results from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) study (abstract). Headache. 2010;50 Suppl 1:4.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jorge R, Leston J, Arndt S, Robinson R. Cluster headaches: association with anxiety disorders and memory deficits. Neurology. 1999;53:543–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mitsikostas DD, Thomas AM. Comorbidity of headache and depressive disorders. Cephalalgia. 1999;19:211–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Robbins L. The prevalence of anxiety and depression in cluster headache patients. Headache. 2004;44:507.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gesztelyi G, Bereczki D. Disability is the major determinant of the severity of depressive symptoms in primary headaches but not in low back pain. Cephalalgia. 2005;25:598–604.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Beck AT, Ward CH, Mendelson M, Mock J, Erbaugh J. An inventory for measuring depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1961;4:561–71.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ertsey C, Manhalter N, Bozsik G, Afra J, Jelencsik I. Health-related and condition-specific quality of life in episodic cluster headache. Cephalalgia. 2004;24:188–96.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Donnet A, Lanteri-Minet M, Guegan-Massardier E, Mick G, Fabre N, Géraud G, et al. Chronic cluster headache: a French clinical descriptive study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2007;78:1354–8.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Zigmond AS, Snaith RP. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983;67:361–70.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bjelland I, Dahl AA, Haug TT, Neckelmann D. The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. An updated literature review. J Psychosom Res. 2002;52:69–77.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. • Jelinski SE, Magnusson JE, Becker WJ. Factors associated with depression in patients referred to headache specialists. Neurology. 2007;68:489–95. An important multicenter study addressing psychiatric comorbidity across a variety of headache disorders.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Richter P, Werner J, Heerlein A, Kraus A, Sauer H. On the validity of the Beck Depression Inventory. A review. Psychopathology. 1998;31:160–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. • Jürgens TP, Gaul C, Lindwurm A, Dresler T, Paelecke-Habermann Y, Schmidt-Wilcke T, et al. Impairment in episodic and chronic cluster headache. Cephalalgia. 2011;31:671–82. Addresses both psychiatric comorbidity and disability, and the first study to examine cluster headache patients who are both in and out of attack periods.

  23. • Seifert CL, Valet M, Pfaffenrath V, Boecker H, Rüther KV, Tölle TR, et al. Neurometabolic correlates of depression and disability in episodic cluster headache. J Neurol. 2011;258:123–31. The first functional neuroimaging study concerning depression in cluster headache patients.

  24. Beekman AT, Deeg DJ, Van Limbeek J, Braam AW, De Vries MZ, Van Tilburg W. Criterion validity of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D): results from a community-based sample of older subjects in The Netherlands. Psychol Med. 1997;27:231–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Zidverc-Trajkovic JJ, Pekmezovic TD, Sundic AL, Radojicic AP, Sternic NM. Comorbidities in cluster headache and migraine. Acta Neurol Belg. 2011;111:50–5.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. • Robbins MS, Bronheim R, Lipton RB, Grosberg BM, Vollbracht S, Sheftell FD, et al. Depression and anxiety in episodic and chronic cluster headache: a pilot study. Headache. 2012;52:600–11. A recent single center study that was small but thorough, examining many variables that are implicated in psychiatric comorbidity and using methodologies applied in large headache epidemiology studies.

  27. Kroenke K, Spitzer R, Williams J. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16:606–13.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Spitzer R, Kroenke K, Williams J, Löwe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:1092–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Blau JN, Engel HO. Premonitory and prodromal symptoms in cluster headache. Cephalalgia. 1998;18:91–3. discussion 71–92.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. • Rozen TD, Fishman RS. Cluster headache in the United States of America: demographics, clinical characteristics, triggers, suicidality, and personal burden. Headache. 2012;52:99–113. The first large cluster headache survey conducted in the United States.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Rozen TD, Fishman RS. Female cluster headache in the United States of America: what are the gender differences? Results from the United States Cluster Headache Survey. J Neurol Sci. 2012;317:17–28.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Solomon GD, Skobieranda FG, Gragg LA. Does quality of life differ among headache diagnoses? Analysis using the medical outcomes study instrument. Headache. 1994;34:143–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Bauer B, Evers S, Gralow I, Husstedt IW. Psychosocial handicap due to chronic headaches. Evaluation of the inventory of Disabilities caused by Headache. Nervenarzt. 1999;70:522–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. D'Amico D, Usai S, Grazzi L, Rigamonti A, Solari A, Leone M, et al. Quality of life and disability in primary chronic daily headaches. Neurol Sci. 2003;24 Suppl 2:S97–100.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Costa A, Leston JA, Cavallini A, Nappi G. Cluster headache and periodic affective illness: common chronobiological features. Funct Neurol. 1998;13:263–72.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Robbins L. The bipolar spectrum in migraine, cluster, and chronic tension headache. Eur Neurol Rev. 2008;3:123–4.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The International classification of headache disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalalgia. 2004;24(Suppl 1):9–160.

  38. Torelli P, Manzoni GC. Behavior during cluster headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2005;9:113–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Iacovelli E, Coppola G, Tinelli E, Pierelli F, Bianco F. Neuroimaging in cluster headache and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. J Headache Pain. 2012;13:11–20.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Luerding R, Henkel K, Gaul C, Dresler T, Lindwurm A, Paelecke-Habermann Y, et al. Aggressiveness in different presentations of cluster headache: results from a controlled multicentric study. Cephalalgia. 2012;32:528–36.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Lambru G, Matharu M. Serotonergic agents in the management of cluster headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2011;15:108–17.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Leone M, Attanasio A, Croci D, Libro G, Grazzi L, D'Amico D, et al. The m-chlorophenylpiperazine test in cluster headache: a study on central serotoninergic activity. Cephalalgia. 1997;17:666–72.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Mnie-Filali O, Faure C, Lambas-Señas L, El Mansari M, Belblidia H, Gondard E, et al. Pharmacological blockade of 5-HT7 receptors as a putative fast acting antidepressant strategy. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2011;36:1275–88.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Brietzke E, Mansur RB, Grassi-Oliveira R, Soczynska JK, McIntyre RS. Inflammatory cytokines as an underlying mechanism of the comorbidity between bipolar disorder and migraine. Med Hypotheses. 2012;78:601–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Steinberg A, Sjostrand C, Sominanda A, Fogdell-Hahn A, Remahl AI. Interleukin-2 gene expression in different phases of episodic cluster headache–a pilot study. Acta Neurol Scand. 2011;124:130–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Empl M, Forderreuther S, Schwarz M, Muller N, Straube A. Soluble interleukin-2 receptors increase during the active periods in cluster headache. Headache. 2003;43:63–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Martelletti P, Granata M, Giacovazzo M. Serum interleukin-1 beta is increased in cluster headache. Cephalalgia. 1993;13:343–5. discussion 307–48.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Krishnadas R, Cavanagh J. Depression: an inflammatory illness? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2012;83:495–502.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Hou R, Baldwin DS. A neuroimmunological perspective on anxiety disorders. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2012;27:6–14.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Breslau N, Schultz LR, Stewart WF, Lipton RB, Lucia VC, Welch KM. Headache and major depression: is the association specific to migraine? Neurology. 2000;54:308–13.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Lambru G, Castellini P, Manzoni GC, Torelli P. Mode of occurrence of traumatic head injuries in male patients with cluster headache or migraine: is there a connection with lifestyle? Cephalalgia. 2010;30:1502–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Graff-Radford SB, Teruel A. Cluster headache and obstructive sleep apnea: are they related disorders? Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2009;13:160–3.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Solomon S, Cappa KG. The time relationships of migraine and cluster headache when occurring in the same patient. Headache. 1986;26:500–2.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Tietjen GE, Peterlin BL. Childhood abuse and migraine: epidemiology, sex differences, and potential mechanisms. Headache. 2011;51:869–79.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Maizels M. Psychiatric screening for headache patients. Headache. 2012;52 Suppl 1:26–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Buse D, Manack A, Serrano D, Turkel C, Lipton R. Sociodemographic and comorbidity profiles of chronic migraine and episodic migraine sufferers. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2010;81:428–32.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Smitherman TA, McDermott MJ, Buchanan EM. Negative impact of episodic migraine on a university population: quality of life, functional impairment, and comorbid psychiatric symptoms. Headache. 2011;51:581–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosure

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew S. Robbins.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Robbins, M.S. The Psychiatric Comorbidities of Cluster Headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep 17, 313 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-012-0313-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-012-0313-8

Keywords

Navigation