Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Comorbidity between migraine and depression: update on traditional and alternative treatments

  • ANIRCEF - HCNE Joint Meeting
  • Published:
Neurological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Migraine is often comorbid with depression. Although much of the research on migraine and depression is of an epidemiologic nature, there is an emerging appreciation of clinical issues and the need to adequately treat depression in migraine sufferers. The present article reviews traditional pharmacological and psychological treatments for depression, with special emphasis on migraine patients. It then reviews the evidence base for some of the complementary and alternative treatments for depression that are very popular in both Europe and the United States.

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

  1. Moussavi S, Chatterji S, Verdes E, Tandon A et al (2007) Depression, chronic diseases, and decrements in health: results from the World Health Surveys. Lancet 370(9590):851–858

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Stovner LJ, Hagen K, Jensen R, Katsarava Z et al (2007) The global burden of headache: a documentation of headache prevalence and disability worldwide. Cephalalgia 27(5):193–210

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Baskin SM, Lipchik GL, Smitherman TA (2006) Mood and anxiety disorders in chronic headache. Headache 46(Suppl 3):S76–S87

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Radat F, Swendsen J (2004) Psychiatric comorbidity in migraine: a review. Cephalalgia 25:165–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lake AE, Rains JC, Penzien DB, Lipchik GL (2005) Headache and psychiatric comorbidity: historical context, clinical implications, and research relevance. Headache 45:493–506

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hamelsky SW, Lipton RB (2006) Psychiatric comorbidity of migraine. Headache 46:1327–1333

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Breslau N (1998) Psychiatric comorbidity in migraine. Cephalalgia 18(Suppl 22):56–61

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Baskin SM, Smitherman TA (2009) Migraine and psychiatric disorders: comorbidities, mechanisms, and clinical applications. Neurol Sci 30(Suppl 1):S61–S65

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bigal ME, Lipton RB (2006) Modifiable risk factors for migraine progression. Headache 46:1334–1343

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Scher AI, Midgette LA, Lipton RB (2008) Risk factors for headache chronification. Headache 48:16–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Guidetti V, Galli F, Fabrizi P et al (1998) Headache and psychiatric comorbidity: clinical aspects and outcome in a 8-year follow-up study. Cephalalgia 18:455–446

    Google Scholar 

  12. Pesa J, Lage MJ (2004) The medical costs of migraine and comorbid anxiety and depression. Headache 44:562–570

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lanteri-Minet M, Radat F, Chautard MH, Lucas C (2005) Anxiety and depression associated with migraine: influence on migraine subjects’ disability and quality of life, and acute migraine management. Pain 118:319–326

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Radat F, Mekies C, Geraud G et al (2008) Anxiety, stress and coping behaviours in primary care migraine patients: results of the SMILE study. Cephalalgia 28(11):1115–1125

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Jette N, Patten S, Williams J et al (2008) Comorbidity of migraine and psychiatric disorders—a National population-based study. Headache 48:501–516

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Breslau N, Schultz LR, Stewart WF et al (2000) Headache and major depression: is the association specific to migraine? Neurology 54:308–313

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Breslau N, Lipton RB, Stewart WF et al (2003) Comorbidity of migraine and depression. Neurology 60:1308–1312

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL (2009) Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. Natl Health Stat Rep 12:1–23

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ernst E (2000) The role of complementary and alternative medicine. BMJ 321:1133–1135

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Menniti-Ippolito F, Gargiulo L, Bologna E et al (2002) Use of unconventional medicine in Italy: a nation-wide survey. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 58:61–64

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Breslau N, Davis GC, Andreski P (1991) Migraine, psychiatric disorders, and suicide attempts: an epidemiologic study of young adults. Psychiatry Res 137:11–2321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Merikangas KR, Angst J, Isler H (1990) Migraine and psychopathology. Arch Gen Psychiatry 47:849–853

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Merikangas KR, Merikangas JR, Angst J (1993) Headache syndromes and psychiatric disorders: association and familial transmission. J Psychiatr Res 27:197–210

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ratcliffe GE, Enns MW, Jacobi F et al (2009) The relationship between migraine and mental disorders in a population based sample. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 31:14–19

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Fasmer OB, Oedegaard KJ (2001) Clinical characteristics of patients with major affective disorders and comorbid migraine. World J Biol Psychiatry 2:149–155

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Oedegaard KJ, Angst J, Neckelmann D, Fasmer OB (2005) Migraine aura without headache compared to migraine with aura in patients with affective disorders. J Headache Pain 6:378–386

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Oedegaard KJ, Neckelmann D, Mykletun A et al (2006) Migraine with and without aura: association with depression and anxiety disorder in a population-based study: the Hunt Study. Cephalalgia 26:1–6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Samaan Z, Farmer A, Craddock N et al (2009) Migraine in recurrent depression: case–control study. Br J Psychiatry 194:350–354

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. McWilliams LA, Goodwin RD, Cox BJ (2004) Depression and anxiety associated with three pain conditions: results from a nationally representative sample. Pain 111:77–83

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Patel NV, Bigal ME, Kolodner KB et al (2004) Prevalence and impact of migraine and probable migraine in a health plan. Neurology 63:1432–1438

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Verri AP, Proietti Cecchini A, Galli C et al (1998) Psychiatric comorbidity in chronic daily headache. Cephalalgia 18(Suppl 21):45–49

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Zwart JA, Dyb G, Hagen K et al (2003) Depression and anxiety disorders associated with headache frequency. The Nord–Trondelag Health Study. Eur J Neurol 10:147–152

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Juang KD, Wang SJ, Fuh JL et al (2000) Comorbidity of depressive and anxiety disorder in chronic daily headache and its subtypes. Headache 40:818–823

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Buse DC, Manack A, Serrano D et al (2010) Sociodemographic and comorbidity profiles of chronic migraine and episodic migraine sufferers. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 81(4):428–432

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Radat F, Sakh D, Lutz G et al (1999) Psychiatric comorbidity is related to headache induced by chronic substance use in migraineurs. Headache 39:477–480

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Mitsikostas DD, Thomas AM (1999) Comorbidity of headache and depressive disorders. Cephalalgia 19:211–217

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Atasoy HT, Atasoy N, Unal AE et al (2005) Psychiatric comorbidity in medication overuse headache patients with preexisting headache type of episodic tension type headache. Eur J Pain 9:285–291

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Radat F, Creac’h C, Swendsen JD et al (2005) Psychiatric comorbidity in the evolution from migraine to medication overuse headache. Cephalalgia 25:519–522

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Maizels M, Smitherman TA, Penzien DB (2006) A review of screening tools for psychiatric comorbidity in headache patients. Headache 46(Suppl 3):S98–S109

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Thase ME (1999) Long term nature of depression. J Clin Psychiatry 60(Suppl 14):S3–S9

    Google Scholar 

  41. McIntyre RS, O’Donovan C (2004) The human cost of not achieving full remission in depression. Can J Psychiatry 49:S10–S16

    Google Scholar 

  42. Gelenberg AJ, Freeman MP, Markowitz JC et al (2010) American Psychiatric Association practice guideline for the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder, 3rd edn. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  43. Qaseem A, Snow V, Denberg TD et al (2008) Using second-generation antidepressants to treat depressive disorders: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med 149:725–733

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Cipriani A, Furakawa TA, Santi G et al (2009) Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 12 new-generation antidepressants: a multiple-treatments meta-analysis. Lancet 373(9665):746–758

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Evans RW, Rosen N (2008) Migraine, psychiatric comorbidities, and treatment. Headache 48:952–958

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Jackson JL, Shimeall W, Sessums L et al (2010) Tricyclic antidepressants and headaches: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 341:c5222

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Silberstein S, Dodick D, Freitag F et al (2007) Pharmacological approaches to managing migraine and associate comorbidities: clinical considerations for monotherapy versus polytherapy. Headache 47:585–599

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Sidor MM, MacQueen GM (2010) Antidepressants for acute treatment of bipolar depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychiatry

  49. Frye MA (2011) Bipolar disorder—a focus on depression. N Engl J Med 364:51–59

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Geddes JR, Calabrese JR, Goodwin GM (2009) Lamotrigine for treatment of bipolar depression: independent meta-analysis and meta-regression of individual patient data from five randomized trials. Br J Psychiatry 194:4–9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Fournier JC, DeRubeis RJ, Hollon SD et al (2010) Antidepressant drug effects and depression severity: a patient-level meta-analysis. JAMA 303(1):47–53

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Shapiro RE, Tepper SJ (2007) The serotonin syndrome, triptans, and the potential for drug–drug interactions. Headache 47:266–269

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Hollon SD, Ponniah K (2010) A review of empirically supported psychological therapies for mood disorders in adults. Depress Anxiety 27(10):891–932

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Driessen E, Hollon SD (2010) Cognitive behavioral therapy for mood disorders: efficacy, moderators and mediators. Psychiatr Clin North Am 33(3):537–555

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Pampallona S, Bollini P, Tibaldki G et al (2004) Combined pharmacotherapy and psychological treatment for depression: A systematic review. Arch Gen Psychiatry 61:714–719

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Lipchik GL, Smitherman TA, Penzien DB, Holroyd KA (2006) Basic principles and techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapies for comorbid psychiatric symptoms among headache patients. Headache 46(Suppl 3):S119–S132

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Frank E, Kupfer DJ, Thase ME et al (2005) Two-year outcomes for interpersonal and social rhythm therapy in individuals with bipolar I disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry 62:996–1004

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Miklowitz DJ, Otto MW (2007) Psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder: a review of literature and introduction of the systematic treatment enhancement program. Psychopharm Bull 40(4):116–131

    Google Scholar 

  59. Calhoun AH, Ford S (2007) Behavioral sleep modification may revert transformed migraine to episodic migraine. Headache 47(8):1178–1183

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Freeman MP, Fava M, Lake J et al (2010) Complementary and alternative medicine in major depressive disorder: The American Psychiatric Association Task Force Report. J Clin Psychiatry 71(6):669–681

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Mead GE, Morley W, Campbell P et al (2009) Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 3

  62. Dunn AL, Trivedi MH, Kampert JB et al (2005) Exercise treatment for depression: efficacy and dose response. Am J Prev Med 28(1):1–8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Deligiannidis KM, Freeman MP (2009) Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of depressive disorders in women. Psychiatr Clin N Am 33:441–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Busch V, Gaul C (2008) Exercise in migraine therapy-is there any evidence for efficacy? A critical review. Headache 48:890–899

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Bondolfi G, Jermann F, Van de Linden M et al (2010) Depression relapse prophylaxis with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: replication and extension of the Swiss health care system. J Affect Disord 122(3):224–231

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Segal ZV, Bieling P, Young T et al (2010) Antidepressant monotherapy vs sequential pharmacotherapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or placebo, for relapse prophylaxis in recurrent depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 67(12):1256–1264

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Uebelacker LA, Epstein-Lubow G, Gaudiano BA et al (2010) Hatha yoga for depression: critical review of the evidence for efficacy, plausible mechanisms of action, and directions for future research. J Psychiatr Pract 16(1):22–33

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Mischoulon D (2009) Update and critique of natural remedies as antidepressant treatments. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 36(4):789–807

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Linde K, Berner M, Egger M, Mulrow C (2005) St. John’s wort for depression: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Br J Psychiatry 186:99–107

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Linde K, Berner MM, Kriston L (2008) St John’s Wort for major depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 4

  71. Hu Z, Wang X, Ho PC et al (2005) Herb–drug interactions: a literature review. Drugs 65(9):1239–1282

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2002) S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) for depression, osteoarthritis and liver disease. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/sametp.htm

  73. Papakostas GI, Mischoulon D, Shyu I et al (2010) S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors for antidepressant nonresponders with major depressive disorder: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Am J Psychiatry 167(8):942–948

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven M. Baskin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baskin, S.M., Smitherman, T.A. Comorbidity between migraine and depression: update on traditional and alternative treatments. Neurol Sci 32 (Suppl 1), 9–13 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0549-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0549-9

Keywords

Navigation