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If you ask a Migraineur about our Migraine attacks, we'll tell you several things. One of the most commonly expressed frustrations is that these headaches seem to control our lives. We'd truly like to have that control back. We often feel depressed, out of control, and totally overwhelmed.

Recent developments from the scientific community are providing some answers to why we feel that way. Data from The United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands was included in two new studies published in the September 12 issue of Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The studies measure health-related quality of life and show a strong link between Migraine and depression. 

Dr. Richard B. Lipton, head of the U.S./U.K. study, commented,

"The studies capture not just the burden of Migraine during attack, but in between attacks. What people don't recognize is that those with Migraine attacks live in fear daily of not knowing when the next attack will be. Our study, taken together with the Dutch study, shows that people with Migraines have a reduced quality of life."

Dr. Lipton's study showed that 47% of Migraineurs are affected by depression as compared to 17% of the general population. He emphasizes that when seeking treatment for one, patients should be sure to mention if they suffer the other as well. He also said,

"It seems logical Migraine patients would be depressed because of their pain, but it goes the other way too -- depressed patients are more likely to have Migraine. We think the two disorders must have a common neurobiology."

In commenting on these studies, Dr. Stephen Silberstein of the Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia said they,

". . . really tell us that Migraine is a double whammy. They tell us that Migraine is really devastating, and that the conditions associated with Migraine are devastating."

The Dutch study was conducted with nearly 6,000 participants. It also compared Migraine patients with asthma and chronic musculoskeletal pain patients. Migraineurs rated their quality of life lower in the mental and social areas, but higher in physical aspects. Lenore Launer, Ph.D., lead author of the Dutch study, emphasized that the point of the study is that,

". . . Migraine is not just a headache. The problem is that Migraine sufferers also have difficulty in managing everyday affairs, and that there are problems in social and emotional functioning that don't necessarily get picked up when doctors talk to patients about their headache histories."

So, what does all of this really mean to us Migraineurs? Potentially, a great deal. Please join me on page two to explore the implications.