Medication overuse in migraine patients has been linked with considerable negative consequences, especially the depression symptoms, the study published in Cephalalgia journal elucidated.

Todd J Schwedt et al. assessed the determinants of the negative effects (headache impact, pain interference) in adults having chronic migraine with medication overusage.

On the whole, 611 subjects were incorporated in the MOTS trial in which the negative effects were examined via the Headache Impact Test 6 and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference 6b questionnaire. Patient demographics, headache features, use of medication, symptoms of anxiety and depression along with association between PROMIS-6b and Headache Impact Test 6 scores were studied.

The average scores of PROMIS-6b T-Scores and Headache Impact Test 6 were 65.2 (SD 5.4) and 65.0 (SD 5.3), representative of serious negative effects of chronic migraine with medicine overusage. This condition affected the enjoyment of life, attentiveness, routine activities, doing errands away from home, and socializing. Acute depression symptoms had the strongest connection with headache impact and pain interference. The headache frequency of moderate to severe intensity, and anxiety symptoms were also connected with the same!