New Study Maps Migraine Symptoms Across Attack Phases

New Study Maps Migraine Symptoms Across Attack Phases

Cerebral Torque
Symptom Pre-headache* Headache* Post-headache* Interictal* Pooled %** Notes
Head pain 50% 100% 28% 5% 100% Only universally reported symptom; defining feature of headache phase
Light sensitivity 75% 80% 30% 13% 93% Second most common symptom; persists across all phases
Nausea 63% 63% 15% 13% 88% Equally prevalent in pre-headache and headache phases
Irritableness 60% 65% 25% 0% 83% Most common mood symptom; not reported in interictal phase
Sound sensitivity 60% 60% 25% 8% 80% Consistent across pre-headache and headache phases
Fatigue 40% 28% 68% 10% 80% Most common in post-headache phase; may limit daily function
Depression 35% 50% 30% 18% 65% Present in all phases; peaks during headache phase
Anxiety 40% 23% 23% 30% 60% Most common interictal symptom; highest in pre-headache phase
Relief 0% 0% 60% 0% 60% Unique to post-headache phase
Appetite changes 33% 23% 38% 0% 58% Most common in post-headache phase; includes both increased and decreased appetite
Visual changes 53% 30% 5% 5% 55% Most common in pre-headache phase; includes blurred vision, eye floaters, vision loss
Numbness 43% 28% 5% 3% 55% Most prevalent in pre-headache phase
Smell sensitivity 40% 35% 8% 3% 50% Most common in pre-headache and headache phases
Other pain 20% 35% 15% 10% 48% Includes neck, back, and body pain; most common during headache phase
Insomnia 33% 18% 3% 8% 48% Most common in pre-headache phase
Tension 43% 10% 5% 3% 45% Most common in pre-headache phase; includes head, neck, shoulder tension
Touch sensitivity 25% 23% 8% 0% 38% Most prevalent in pre-headache and headache phases
Aura 33% 13% 3% 0% 35% Most common in pre-headache phase; not reported in interictal phase
Anger 20% 15% 8% 15% 35% Present in all phases; most common in pre-headache phase
Vertigo 20% 30% 15% 13% 33% Includes dizziness and imbalance; most common during headache phase
Euphoria 3% 3% 28% 5% 33% Most common in post-headache phase; likely related to relief
Cranial autonomic symptoms 23% 15% 0% 3% 30% Most common in pre-headache phase
Vomiting 5% 28% 0% 0% 28% Predominantly occurs during headache phase
Weakness 28% 20% 13% 0% 40% Most common in pre-headache phase; not reported in interictal phase
Coordination difficulty 20% 5% 3% 5% 20% Most common in pre-headache phase
Guilt 0% 13% 8% 5% 15% Not reported in pre-headache phase; most common during headache
Thirst 0% 0% 8% 0% 8% Only reported in post-headache phase
Diarrhea 0% 3% 3% 3% 8% Low prevalence across headache, post-headache, and interictal phases
Tinnitus 5% 3% 0% 0% 8% Rare; only reported in pre-headache and headache phases
Tremor 0% 3% 3% 0% 3% Least common symptom; only reported in headache and post-headache phases

*Phase-specific percentages (Pre-headache, Headache, Post-headache, Interictal): These percentages represent the proportion of participants who reported experiencing the symptom during that specific phase of the migraine cycle. For example, 50% in the "Pre-headache" column for head pain means that half of the participants reported experiencing head pain during the pre-headache phase.

**Pooled %: The pooled percentage represents the proportion of participants who reported experiencing the symptom in at least one of the four phases. It does not necessarily equal the sum of the phase-specific percentages, as a participant might experience a symptom in multiple phases but would only be counted once in the pooled percentage.

Data taken from: https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/head.14817

 

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