Is Midlife Migraine Linked to Parkinson Disease?

Patients with migraine in midlife were more likely to develop PD in later life, but causation is unclear.

There has long been a notion that Parkinson disease (PD) may be related to migraine headache. To examine whether migraine occurring in middle age is related to late-life parkinsonism or to restless legs syndrome, investigators assessed data from the AGES-Reykjavik cohort, who have been followed since the late 1960s. Physicians documented participants' headaches in a clinic setting at a mean patient age of 51 years. At a mean patient age of 77, the authors re-examined 5764 people for symptoms of parkinsonism, a formal diagnosis of PD, a family history of PD, or a diagnosis of restless legs syndrome.

Participants with midlife migraine, especially those with migraine with aura (MA), were more likely to report later parkinsonian symptoms (MA odd…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)