Newswise —

The debilitating pain and disability of migraine also attacks the emotional, social and financial fabric of a family, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Montefiore Headache Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, affiliated with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Vedanta Research, the Mayo Clinic and Allergan plc. The findings were published today in Volume 91, Issue 5 ofMayo Clinic Proceedings.

The Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study surveyed 4,022 people with migraine as well as their spouses or domestic partners to gain a full picture of the effect of migraine on the family. Approximately 41% of people with migraine and 23% of spouses stated that they believed those impacted by migraine would be better parents if they did not have migraine, which consequently led to half of migraineurs missing at least one family activity in the past month. Approximately one-third of people with migraine and 21% of their spouses/partners endorsed worries about long-term financial security for their family due to migraine. Perceived burden was the greatest among people with chronic migraine (migraine with headache on 15 or more days per month) and among those with more frequent attacks.

“This study highlights the significant burden that migraine can have on a wide range of family activities, parenting responsibilities, spousal relationships and family finances,” said study lead author Dawn C. Buse, Ph.D., director of Behavioral Medicine, Montefiore Headache Center and associate professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “Respondents with migraine and their partners noted a great deal of emotional distress related to how this condition affects their family member including guilt, worry and sadness. These findings underscore the challenges and negative impact that people with migraine and their family members’ experience.”

The CaMEO Study is a U.S. web-panel study that gathered information on the perceived impact of migraine—episodic or chronic-- on people with migraine, their partners and their children by surveying each of the three types of respondents from September 2012 to November 2013. As the study authors point out, an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment are essential to reducing the overall burden of migraine.

“The consequences of migraine can be devastating and far-reaching for people with migraine and their families,” said Richard B. Lipton, M.D., director of Montefiore Headache Center and vice chair of neurology, and the Edwin S. Lowe Chair in Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “As a next step, we are analyzing responses from the children of those with migraine, who are 13 and older. We are also developing the “Impact of Migraine on Partners and Children Scale (IMPACS)” to help quantify the family burden of migraine. We hope that improved diagnosis, treatment and enhanced recognition of the burden associated with migraine leads to better outcomes for all family members,” concluded Dr. Lipton, who is the study Primary Investigator.

Additional study authors include Ann I. Scher, Ph.D., Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, David W. Dodick, M.D., Mayo Clinic in Phoenix Arizona, Michael L. Reed, Ph.D., Vedanta Research, Kristina M. Fanning, Ph.D., Vedanta Research, Aubrey Manack Adams, Ph.D., Allergan plc and Richard B. Lipton, M.D., Montefiore/Einstein.

Funding for the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) study was provided by Allergan plc.

About Montefiore Health System
Montefiore Health System is one of New York’s premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 10 hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and close to 200 outpatient care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its’ medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its’ preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube.

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2015-2016 academic year, Einstein is home to 731 M.D. students, 193 Ph.D. students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 278 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,900 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2015, Einstein received $148 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Through its extensive affiliation network involving Montefiore, Jacobi Medical Center—Einstein’s founding hospital, and three other hospital systems in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island, Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.