Circadian preference and its connection with psychobiological concomitants in migraine in childhood and adolescence

Background: The importance of chronobiological factors in neurological disorders (Turek et al., 2001) and in migraine especially (Zural, 1998) has been recognised but has rarely been investigated. Objective: The main aim was to identify differences in circadian phase preference between migraineurs in childhood/adolescence and healthy controls. The second aim was the examination of the simultaneous occurrence of circadian phase disruption, sleeping problems, psychological problems and harm avoidance in migraineurs in childhood and adolescence. Methods: 145 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years old who experience migraine according to the IHS-II classification criteria and 244 healthy control subjects of the same age were investigated. Results: Differences in the circadian preference were found in the childrens but not in the adolescents migraine group. A co-occurrence of sleeping and psychological problems and a co-occurence of a high level of harm avoidance with morningness, was identified in the childrens migraine group, E-types (evening-types) had more sleeping problems than I-types (intermediate) and M-types (morning preference). The E-typed migraineurs in the adolescent group showed more sleeping problems compared to I-types and M-types. In the childrens migraine group, morning-typed subjects exhibited fewer psychological problems. In the adolescent migraine group, evening-types showed more psychological problems. Among migraineurs of both age groups, the M-types showed the highest harm avoidance scores Conclusion: The results indicated alterations in the circadian preference in children with migraine. A connection between circadian preference and the amount of psychobiological concomitants (psychological and sleeping problems, harm avoidance) in children and adolescents with migraine was found.submitted by Gloria GelbmannAbweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersZsfassung in dt. SpracheWien, Med. Univ., Diss., 2013OeBB(VLID)271244