History of childhood maltreatment is associated with comorbid depression in women with migraine
Citation Manager Formats
Make Comment
See Comments

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
Abstract
Background: A bidirectional relationship between migraine and depression suggests a neurobiological link. Adverse experiences, particularly childhood maltreatment, may alter neurobiological systems, and predispose to a multiplicity of adult chronic disorders. Our objective is to determine, within a headache clinic population of women, if depression moderates the abuse-migraine relationship.
Methods: At six headache specialty clinics, women with migraine were diagnosed using ICHD-II criteria, and frequency was recorded. A questionnaire regarding maltreatment history, headache characteristics, current depression, and somatic symptoms was completed.
Results: A total of 949 women with migraine completed the survey: 40% had chronic headache (≥15 headache days/month) and 72% had “very severe” headache-related disability. Major depression was recorded in 18%. Physical or sexual abuse was reported in 38%, and 12% reported both physical and sexual abuse in the past. Migraineurs with current major depression reported physical (p < 0.001) and sexual (p < 0.001) abuse in higher frequencies compared to those without depression. Women with major depression were more likely to report sexual abuse occurring before age 12 years (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.14 to 4.77), and the relationship was stronger when abuse occurred both before and after age 12 years (OR = 5.08, 95% CI: 2.15 to 11.99). Women with major depression were also twice as likely to report multiple types of maltreatment (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.27 to 3.35) compared to those without depression.
Conclusions: Childhood maltreatment was more common in women with migraine and concomitant major depression than in those with migraine alone. The association of childhood sexual abuse with migraine and depression is amplified if abuse also occurs at a later age.
Footnotes
-
Supported by a grant from the American Headache Society to the Women's Issue Section.
Disclosure: Dr. Tietjen has received grants/research support from GlaxoSmithKline, Ortho-McNeil, Merck, Boehriger-Ingelheim, and NMT Medical, Inc.; has served as a scientific consultant to GlaxoSmithKline; and has received an honorarium from Pfizer. Dr. Brandes has received grants/research support from Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, UCB Pharma, Allergan, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Pfizer Inc., Bristol-Myer Squibb, Winston Laboratories, Sanofi-Aventis, Elan Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Pozen Inc., Vernalis, Ortho-McNeil, and Advanced Bionics; has participated in speakers' bureaus for GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Pfizer Inc., Merck, Ortho-McNeil, Allergan, MedPointe Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and UCB Pharmaceuticals; has served as consultant for Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer Inc., AstraZeneca, Allergan, Ortho-McNeil, and Aradigm Corporation; and has received an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Digre has participated in speakers' bureau for GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, US Human Health, AstraZeneca, Pharmacia, Ortho-McNeil, Pfizer Inc., Abbot Laboratories, Allergan, and Endo Pharmaceuticals. S. Baggaley has no financial interest to disclose. Dr. Martin has served as a consultant for AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer Inc., Ortho-McNeil, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Merck; has financial disclosures with Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and GlaxoSmithKline; and has participated in speakers' bureaus for GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Merck, Ortho-McNeil, Endo and Pfizer Inc. Dr. Recober has no conflicts of interest to report. Dr. Geweke has participated in speakers' bureaus for Ortho-McNeil, GlaxoSmithKline, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, and Pfizer Inc. Dr. Geweke has received grants/research support from AGA Medical. Dr. Hafeez has received honoraria from Pfizer, Ortho-McNeil, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, and Bristol-Myers Squib; and has received grants/research support from GlaxoSmithKline, Ortho-McNeil, Merck, Boehriger-Ingelheim, and NMT Medical, Inc. Dr. Aurora has received grants/research support from Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZenca, Allergan, Winston, and Merck; has consulted for Ortho-McNeil, AstraZeneca, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer Inc., Allergan, Neuralieve, and NMT Medical, Inc.; and has received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer Inc., Ortho-McNeil, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International. Dr. Herial has no financial interest to disclose. C. Utley has no financial interest to disclose. Dr. Khuder has no financial interest to disclose. The American Headache Society had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; or preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
Presented in part at the 47th annual scientific meeting of the American Headache Society; Philadelphia, PA; June 2005.
Received December 15, 2006. Accepted in final form April 6, 2007.
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
For assistance, please contact:
AAN Members (800) 879-1960 or (612) 928-6000 (International)
Non-AAN Member subscribers (800) 638-3030 or (301) 223-2300 option 3, select 1 (international)
Sign Up
Information on how to subscribe to Neurology and Neurology: Clinical Practice can be found here
Purchase
Individual access to articles is available through the Add to Cart option on the article page. Access for 1 day (from the computer you are currently using) is US$ 39.00. Pay-per-view content is for the use of the payee only, and content may not be further distributed by print or electronic means. The payee may view, download, and/or print the article for his/her personal, scholarly, research, and educational use. Distributing copies (electronic or otherwise) of the article is not allowed.
Letters: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
You must ensure that your Disclosures have been updated within the previous six months. Please go to our Submission Site to add or update your Disclosure information.
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.
You May Also be Interested in
Dr. David E. Vaillancourt and Dr. Shannon Y. Chiu
► Watch
Topics Discussed
Alert Me
Recommended articles
-
Article
Recalled maltreatment, migraine, and tension-type headacheResults of the AMPP StudyGretchen E. Tietjen, Dawn C. Buse, Kristina M. Fanning et al.Neurology, December 24, 2014 -
Clinical and Ethical Challenges
Office assessment for abuse and management of the battered patientGretchen E. Tietjen et al.Neurology: Clinical Practice, March 16, 2012 -
Articles
Predictors of antecedent factors in psychogenic nonepileptic attacksMultivariate analysisR. Duncan, M. Oto et al.Neurology, September 22, 2008 -
Special Article
Invited Article: Improving safety for the neurologic patientEvaluating medications, literacy, and abuseA. DePold Hohler, J. Doyle Lee, E.A. Schulman et al.Neurology, August 23, 2010