Bipolar Disorder And Migraines
Could there be a relationship between bipolar disorder and the presence of migraine headaches?
Scientists examining the issue are increasingly convinced that there just may be. In fact, at the Annual Conference of the Canadian Psychiatric Association some professional are arguing for screening and examination of bipolar disorder and migraine individuals in individuals.
The recommendation came after the presentation of a clinical study which discovered the bipolar disorder -migraine headache connection. The study was conducted by Dr. Roger S. McIntyre, associate professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto, Ontario (Canada). He is also the head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at the University Health Network, also located in Toronto.
The study discovered that men with bipolar disorder as well as migraine headaches experienced more severe symptoms as well as more harmful dysfunction than men with bipolar disorder but had no migraine headaches.
Men who screened positive for both a manic episode associated with bipolar disorder as well as migraines were compared to those who screened positive for the mania of bipolar disorder but did not experience migraine headaches.
Migraine headaches were reported more frequently from individuals with bipolar disorder than the general population. Among men, in fact, nearly 15 percent of those who had bipolar disorder-related manic episodes were diagnosed with migraine headaches. This compares to a mere 5.8 percent in the general population.
Among women, the numbers are even higher. Nearly 35 percent of women suffering with bipolar disorder reported also experiencing migraine headaches. This compares to less than 15 percent in the general population who had complained of migraines.
This relationship of bipolar disorder and migraine headache persisted, according to Dr. McIntyre continued even controlled for socio-demographic factors, chronic medical conditions, history of major depressive episode as well as psychotropic drug use.
In fact, according to this study, the odds of an individual with bipolar disorder experiencing a migraine headache were 40 percent higher than for the general population at large.
But that's only a portion of the findings of the study, explained Dr. McIntyre. He said that for men the presence of both bipolar disorder and migraine headaches results in a more severe form of the illness. Men experiencing both bipolar disorder and migraine headache have a more harmful dysfunction - as evidenced by an earlier age of onset of bipolar disorder. These men also have a greater use of multiple medications.
Dr. McIntyre hypothesized that Bipolar Disorder with migraine may actually be a subcategory of bipolar disorder.
