Neurológia pre prax 3/2020

Migraine and depression: cooperation of a neurologist and a psychologist

Along with anxiety, depressive syndrome is among the most common comorbidities of migraine. The presence of depressive symptoms in migraine is known to be a risk factor for migraine progression to a chronic condition. Early detection of patients at risk and treatment of depression can reverse this trend. Although a clear guideline on when and how to perform screening has not been published so far, it is advisable to search for psychiatric comorbidities in migraine patients. When depressive or anxiety symptoms have been confirmed, the physician should initiate pharmacotherapy and follow up the patient to observe its success. If these primary steps are shown not to be effective enough or if the present mental complaints reflect fundamental changes in the patient’s life (response to partnership difficulties, loss of a job, and the like), it is appropriate to make use of the expertise of a psychologist who has more time available, more detailed testing methods (e.g., personality diagnosis), and often an opportunity to use targeted psychotherapy as part of the treatment.

Keywords: migraine, depression, anxiety, depression screening, psychotherapy