Migraine and epilepsy are common chronic and paroxysmal neurological disorders but their comorbidity is understudied. Little is known about the profile of patients with first onset seizure regarding their migraine and related psychiatric history. Researchers aimed to evaluate migraine and psychiatric comorbidities common in epilepsy patients such as depression, anxiety and suicidality.
In a sample of patients with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy, 18% had migraine, and it was predominantly migraine with aura (MWA). The epilepsy patients with migraine had higher depression scores compared to those without migraine. Epilepsy MWA had higher depression scores compared to MOA. Clinicians should be alert for signs of depression in epilepsy patients with migraine. Given the paucity of studies evaluating the comorbidity between epilepsy, migraine, and other associated psychiatric conditions, further studies should be performed to better assess these relationships.