Association between somatic amplification, anxiety, depression, stress and migraine

The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between migraine related disability and somatosensory amplification, depression, anxiety, and stress.

Fifty-five migraine patients who applied to the outpatient unit of the Neurology Department of Acibadem University School of Medicine, Maslak Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, and twenty-eight subjects without migraine were recruited for the study. The participants were asked to complete a sociodemographic form, Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS).

Somatosensory amplification scores were significantly higher in the migraineurs than in the control group (29.85+/-6.63 vs 26.07+/-7.1; p=0.027). Somatosensory amplification scores and depression scores were significantly higher in migraineurs with moderate and severe disability than in patients with minimal and mild disability (31.7+/-6.4 vs 27.71+/-5.49; p=0.01, 11.27+/-8.7 vs 7.38+/-8.11; p=0.04, respectively). A significant positive correlation was found between the frequency of migraine attacks for at least three consecutive months (MIDAS A scores) and the SSAS scores (r=0.363, p=0.007) in migraineurs. The MIDAS total scores were also significantly correlated with the DASS depression subcale scores (r=0.267, p=0.04), and the DASS stress subscale scores (r=0.268, p=0.05).

Psychological factors, and vulnerability to bodily sensations may incease the burden of migraine. We point out that the timely assessing of somatic amplification and the evaluation of mental status would help improve the quality of life of in migraineurs.