Sleep Regulation and Circadian Phase in Chronic Migraine

Rush University Medical Center, Chicago IL

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): 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.