Lifestyle impact on migraine during home confinement

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 lockdown has influenced people lifestyle, behaviour, physical activity (PA), and working habits as well as, possibly, migraine. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of lockdown on the burden of migraine attacks during COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: Patients were interviewed, and data about demographics, PA, daily behaviour, working habits, disability (HIT-6) and characteristics of migraine and drugs consumption were compared between the first month of the lockdown in Italy (March 2020), and a reference month prior the lockdown (January 2020). Results: 37 patients were analysed, classified as migraine without aura (MwoA) (n = 26) and migraine with aura (MwA) plus migraine with and without aura (MwA/MwoA) (n = 11). During the lockdown, a greater proportion of patients with insufficient PA (65% vs 31%; p = 0.012) were found. Reduced mean headache duration [3 h, (2–12) vs 2 h (1–8); p = 0.041] and HIT score [59 (51–63) vs 50 (44–57); p = 0.001] were found in MwoA patients during the lockdown, while no changes found in patients with MwA + MwA/MwoA. Conclusions: Lockdown induced significant changes in PA and working habits of people with migraine and was found to be associated with improved migraine-related symptoms which might depend by different lifestyle habits.