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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
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3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache

Published on: June 2, 2014

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COVID-19 and the Risks of Migraine and Headache: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Zhiyun Jiang1, Ying Xi1

  • 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University.

Acta Medica Okayama
|December 24, 2025
PubMed

Insights

This study found no genetic evidence that COVID-19 causes headaches or migraines. Mendelian randomization analysis confirmed no causal link between coronavirus disease 2019 and headache or migraine development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Epidemiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Observational studies suggested a link between COVID-19 and migraine headaches.
  • The potential causal relationship requires further investigation using robust methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential genetic causal links between COVID-19 and headache/migraine development.
  • To analyze COVID-19 phenotypes and their impact on migraine with aura (MA) and migraine without aura (MO).

Main Methods:

  • Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed in European populations.
  • Inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger methods were employed.
  • Sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure the robustness of the findings.

Main Results:

  • No causal effect of COVID-19 severity, hospitalization, or susceptibility on the risks of headache, migraine, MA, or MO was detected.
  • Sensitivity tests confirmed the robustness of the results.
  • No evidence of horizontal pleiotropy was found.

Conclusions:

  • This MR study found no evidence of a causal effect of COVID-19 on headache or migraine development in European populations.
  • The findings suggest that observed associations are likely not due to direct genetic causation.

Keywords:
COVID-19Mendelian randomizationheadachemigraine

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