Chronotype in migraine and tension-type headache: A population study

Area of Science:

• Chronobiology
• Neurology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Limited population-level data exists on chronotype associations with tension-type headache.
• Previous studies suggest chronotype links to migraine, but broader evidence is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate chronotype distribution in migraine and tension-type headache patients.
• To assess chronotype's association with clinical headache features in a population-based sample.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of a nationwide population-based survey in South Korea (2020).
• Involved 2838 adults aged 20-59 years.
• Chronotype assessed via Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), categorized as morning, intermediate, or evening types.

Main Results:

• Evening chronotype was more prevalent in migraine (36.3%) and tension-type headache (25.3%) groups versus controls (18.4%).
• In migraineurs, depression and anxiety levels differed across chronotypes (overall p<0.05), with morning types showing lower levels.
• In tension-type headache patients, depression and anxiety were higher in evening types (overall p<0.01).
• Greater morningness (higher MEQ score) was linked to more severe headache days in migraineurs (p=0.046), but not tension-type headache patients (p=0.126).

Conclusions:

• Migraine and tension-type headache sufferers demonstrate a higher prevalence of evening chronotypes compared to controls.
• Increased morningness is associated with more frequent headache days in migraine patients, but this link is absent in tension-type headache.