A recent meta-analysis published in the Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found strong correlations between cluster headaches and migraines and the circadian system, the internal clock that regulates body processes. This meta-analysis looked at the timing of headaches throughout the day and year, the genes associated with the circadian clock in people with headaches, and information on hormones related to the circadian system – such as cortisol and melatonin – in order to get a better understanding of the link.
In the meta-analysis, it had been determined that 71% of people suffering from cluster headaches experienced a circadian pattern of attacks. This pattern peaked in the late hours of the night to early hours of the morning, and also through the year, with more attacks occurring in the spring and fall. The genes associated with the circadian clock and cluster headaches had two main genes and five out of nine genes giving a higher chance of having cluster headaches. Other data showed that people experiencing cluster headaches had higher levels of cortisol and lower melatonin levels than the ones without the condition.
In the case of migraines, the meta-analysis discovered a circadian pattern of attacks in 50% of people. Though the peak period of attacks spread between the late morning to early evening, few attacks occurred during the night. The two core genes linked with migraine while 110 out of 168 genes giving a higher chance of having migraines had a circadian pattern of expression. People having migraines had lower melatonin levels in their urine and lower melatonin levels during an attack.
This research raises the foundation for treatments, both based on the circadian rhythm (medications taken at a certain time of day) and those that cause circadian changes (such as certain medications). The limitation to this study is that there was no information available on factors that could influence the circadian cycle, such as medications, other disorders and night shift work.
The study was funded by the Will Erwin Headache Research Foundation.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is a comprehensive academic health center dedicated to the elimination of cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Their mission is to provide students, faculty and staff with tremendous opportunity to work with leaders across the university and across the world including leading researchers, physicians and healthcare practitioners. Mark Joseph Burish, MD, PhD, is an acclaimed researcher from this University and one of the authors of this study who reinforced the importance of the hypothalamus, the brain’s primary biological clock, and its role in cluster headaches and migraines.
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