Prevalence and clinical correlates of migraine in a bipolar population

The relationship between migraine and bipolar disorder was the main interest of this study. The objectives were several: (1) to determine the prevalence of migraine in a clinical bipolar population and compare it to the rate in the general population; (2) to examine if there were any clinical differences between the bipolar groups with and without migraine; and lastly, (3) to determine the prevalence of migraine treatment among the bipolar population. Two questionnaires were administered to diagnose migraine and gather information about the clinical course of bipolar illness. The results showed a migraine rate among females of 43.8% and 31.5% among males which were both higher than in the general population. Migraine was also found to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. Several clinical correlates were found that may suggest that migraine and bipolar disorder share similar pathophysiological underpinnings