Allodynia is associated with a higher prevalence of depression in migraine patients

There is a strong association between migraine and depression. The aim of this study is to identify migraine-specific factors involved in this association.

We conducted a cross-sectional study in a large, well-defined cohort of migraine patients (n=2533). We assessed lifetime depression using validated questionnaires, and diagnosed migraine based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders III-beta criteria. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted.

Of the 2533 migraineurs that were eligible, 1137 (45%) suffered from lifetime depression. The following independent factors were associated with an increased depression prevalence: i) migraine-specific risk factors: high migraine attack frequency and the presence of allodynia, ii) general factors: being a bad sleeper, female gender, high BMI, being single, smoking, and a low alcohol consumption.

This study identified allodynia, in addition to high migraine attack frequency, as a new migraine-specific factor associated with depression.