Sleep disorders seem to be highly prevalent among children with pediatric migraines and are associated with higher headache severity, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Researchers have also discovered common gene variants that raise the risk of migraines in Black children.
Alessandra Voci, from the Tor Vergata University of Rome, and colleagues examined the correlation between headache features and sleep in pediatric migraines.
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Parents of children and adolescents with migraines answered questions about headache characteristics and completed the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents.
The researchers found that sleep disorders were identified in 72.9 percent of 140 individuals; only 5.0 percent had already received a diagnosis.
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Statistically significantly higher headache frequency was seen for patients with sleep disorders, and the prevalence of migraine equivalents was higher.
There was a correlation observed for a higher CSHQ total score with a higher frequency of severe attacks and lower acute drug efficacy.
There were significant positive associations seen for delay of sleep onset, sleep duration, and night-wakings subscales with the frequency of migraine.
“Sleep disorders, though highly prevalent in pediatric migraine and frequently associated with a higher headache severity, [remain] underdiagnosed in many cases. Given the relationship between sleep and migraine characteristics, improving sleep quality could help