The results of a study conducted by a group of scientists from Hungary and the United Kingdom were presented at the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Amsterdam.
After analyzing data on more than three thousand inhabitants of Budapest and Manchester, the researchers concluded that depression and migraine go hand in hand – people who have this mental illness diagnosed suffer from headaches more often than people with healthy psyche. At the same time, among the participants in the study there were people who had depression, but there was no migraine, and vice versa.
Since the relationship between the two diseases can only partly be explained by genetic factors, scientists decided to analyze what role individual traits play in this. We are talking about the so-called “big five” personal qualities – openness to new experiences, conscientiousness, extraversion, benevolence and neuroticism (neuroticism).
The analysis showed that people who have depression combined with migraine, gain the maximum number of points on the scale of neuroticism. That is, this feature is most clearly represented in the model of their personality. Neurotism refers to emotional instability, nervousness, increased anxiety and irritability, a constant feeling of dissatisfaction and exposure to negative emotions.
At the same time, people who do not have a link between depression and migraine, gain the maximum number of points on the scale of openness to a new experience. This personality trait implies a thirst for knowledge, curiosity, a desire to learn, a love of adventure and art.
“Our results allow us to better understand the biological, psychological and social origins of migraine, which will allow us to develop new methods for the prevention and treatment of this disease,” explained lead author Mate Magyar,