Migraine symptomatology and major depressive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
Migraine and major depressive disorder (MDD) frequently co-occur, but it is unclear whether depression is associated with a specific subtype of migraine. The objective of this study was to investigate whether migraine is qualitatively different in MDD patients (N = 1816) and non-depressed controls (N = 3428).


METHODS
Migraine symptom data were analyzed using multi-group Latent Class Analysis, and a qualitative comparison was made between the symptom profiles of MDD patients and controls, while allowing for differences in migraine prevalence and severity between groups.


RESULTS
In both groups, three migrainous headache classes were identified, which differed primarily in terms of severity. Both mild and severe migrainous headaches were two to three times more prevalent in MDD patients. Migraine symptom profiles showed only minor qualitative differences in the MDD and non-MDD groups: in the severe migrainous headache class, significant differences were observed only in the prevalence of aggravation by physical activity (83% and 91% for the non-MDD and MDD groups, respectively) and aura (42% vs. 53%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The similar overall symptom profiles observed in the MDD and non-MDD subjects suggest that a similar disease process may underlie migraine in both groups.
Ligthart
Lannie
L
VU University Amsterdam, Department of Biological Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. rsl.ligthart@psy.vu.nl
Penninx
Brenda W J H
BW
Nyholt
Dale R
DR
Distel
Marijn A
MA
de Geus
Eco J C
EJ
Willemsen
Gonneke
G
Smit
Johannes H
JH
Boomsma
Dorret I
DI
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012720:Severity of Illness Index