Chronic migraine is a debilitating headache disorder with few effective treatments. Sleep disturbance is a prominent risk factor in the progression from episodic to chronic migraine yet very little is known about the mechanisms of sleep disturbance in migraine. The goal of this proposal is to examine evidence for a pathway of sleep dysregulation in migraine patients characterized by instability in sleep behaviors, unique sleep microarchitecture, and/or circadian misalignment. We plan to assess the sleep behaviors and sleep physiology of 20 individuals with chronic migraine and 20 healthy, age-matched controls. The protocol includes an in-lab assessment to obtain dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) followed by an overnight polysomnography (PSG) to measure sleep EEG activity. Subsequently, participants will complete an at-home assessment for 14 days with an actigraph and diaries to evaluate naturalistic sleep/wake patterns and headache-related activity. The desired outcome of this project is to synthesize these findings into a concise pathway delineating the impact of sleep dysregulation on migraine. The findings will then be used to direct future studies on sleep- based interventions to reduce the progression of migraine headaches.

Public Health Relevance

The purpose of this research project is to determine if individuals with chronic migraine have instability in sleep behaviors, unique sleep microarchitecture, or circadian misalignment. The findings will help to identify more precise ways to improve sleep for these individuals.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21NS081088-02
Application #
8656164
Study Section
Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Emotion, Stress and Health Study Section (MESH)
Program Officer
Porter, Linda L
Project Start
2013-05-01
Project End
2015-04-30
Budget Start
2014-05-01
Budget End
2015-04-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Rush University Medical Center
Department
Other Clinical Sciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60612
Ong, Jason C; Taylor, Hannah L; Park, Margaret et al. (2018) Can Circadian Dysregulation Exacerbate Migraines? Headache 58:1040-1051