Stress and psychological factors before a migraine attack: A time-based analysis
2008

Stress and Psychological Factors Before a Migraine Attack

Sample size: 16 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Hashizume Masahiro, Yamada Ui, Sato Asako, Hayashi Karin, Amano Yuichi, Makino Mariko, Yoshiuchi Kazuhiro, Tsuboi Koji

Primary Institution: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University

Hypothesis

The study aims to examine the stress and mood changes of Japanese subjects over the 1–3 days before a migraine headache.

Conclusion

Psychosocial stress preceding the onset of migraines by several days was suggested to play an important role in the occurrence of migraines.

Supporting Evidence

  • Daily hassle values increased significantly 1–3 days before a migraine attack.
  • Non-domestic stress was significantly higher on migraine days compared to other days.
  • There was no significant difference in psychological factors between pre-migraine days and other days.

Takeaway

This study found that feeling stressed a few days before a migraine might be a sign that a migraine is coming.

Methodology

Participants kept a headache diary four times a day for two weeks, evaluating various stress and mood factors.

Potential Biases

The study included both working people and housewives, which may have influenced stress levels.

Limitations

The number of subjects was small, the headache diary period was short, and the subjects had varied non-domestic stress levels.

Participant Demographics

16 patients (14 females, 2 males) aged 19 to 48, average age 32.0 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1751-0759-2-14

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