Migraines, a prevalent neurological disorder, are increasingly linked to an elevated risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). This systematic review and meta-analysis examined 12 cohort studies with 465,358 participants to assess this association. The results showed a significant relationship between migraines and dementia risk (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.21–1.50), particularly chronic migraines (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.44–1.52). Women, younger individuals, and those with a family history of dementia were at higher risk. Shared vascular risk factors, neurovascular dysfunction, and hormonal influences are potential mechanisms underlying this link. Chronic migraine may act as an early marker for cognitive decline, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and vascular risk management in at-risk individuals. Further research is essential to explore causal pathways and prevention strategies to reduce dementia risk in migraine patients.

Chronic migraines, neurological disorder

Stovner, L., Hagen, K., Jensen, R., et al. "The global burden of headache: a documentation of headache prevalence and disability worldwide." Cephalalgia, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 465–477, 2018, DOI: 10.1177/0333102417731170.

Steiner, T.J. "Lifting the burden: the global campaign against headache." The Lancet Neurology, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 204–205, 2004, DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(04)00702-3.

Steiner, T.J., Scher, A.I., Stewart, W.F., et al. "The prevalence and disability burden of adult migraine in England and their relationships to age, gender and ethnicity." Cephalalgia, vol. 23, no. 7, pp. 519–527, 2003, DOI: 10.1046/j.1468-2982.2003.00568.x.

Amiri, P., Kazeminasab, S., Nejadghaderi, S.A., et al. "Migraine: a review on its history, global epidemiology, risk factors, and comorbidities." Frontiers in Neurology, vol. 12, pp. 800605, 2021, DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.800605.

Sacco, S., Marini, C., Leone, M., et al. "Migraine and stroke: a review of the literature." Neuroepidemiology, vol. 52, no. 1–2, pp. 1–10, 2018, DOI: 10.1159/000489494.

Wimo, A., Guerchet, M., Ali, G.C., et al. "The worldwide costs of dementia 2015 and comparisons with 2010." Alzheimer’s & Dementia, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1–7, 2017, DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.07.150.

Wortmann, M. "Dementia: a global health priority - highlights from an ADI and World Health Organization report." Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 40, 2012, DOI: 10.1186/alzrt143.

Whalley, L.J., Dick, F.D., McNeill, G. "A life-course approach to the aetiology of late-onset dementias." The Lancet Neurology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 87–96, 2006, DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(05)70286-6.

Choudhary, A.K. "Migraine and cognitive impairment: the interconnected processes." Brain-Apparatus Communication: A Journal of Bacomics, vol. 3, no. 1, 2024, DOI: 10.1080/27706710.2024.2439437.

Barbanti, P., Brighina, F., Egeo, G., et al. "Migraine as a cortical brain disorder." Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, vol. 60, no. 9, pp. 2103–2114, 2020, DOI: 10.1111/head.13935.

Radat, F. "What is the link between migraine and psychiatric disorders? From epidemiology to therapeutics." Revue Neurologique (Paris), vol. 177, no. 7, pp. 821–826, 2021, DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2021.07.007.

Quadros, M.A., Granadeiro, M., Ruiz-Tagle, A., et al. "Cognitive performance along the migraine cycle: a negative exploratory study." Cephalalgia Reports, vol. 3, pp. 2515816320951136, 2020, DOI: 10.1177/2515816320951136.

Tarantino, S., Proietti Checchi, M., Papetti, L., et al. "Interictal cognitive performance in children and adolescents with primary headache: a narrative review." Frontiers in Neurology, vol. 13, pp. 898626, 2022, DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.898626.

Gu, L., Wang, Y., Shu, H. "Association between migraine and cognitive impairment." The Journal of Headache and Pain, vol. 23, no. 88, 2022, DOI: 10.1186/s10194-022-01462-4.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging." CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/aging/dementia/ (accessed Jan. 1, 2025).

Braganza, D.L., Fitzpatrick, L.E., Nguyen, M.L., et al. "Interictal cognitive deficits in migraine sufferers: a meta-analysis." Neuropsychology Review, 2021, DOI: 10.1007/s11065-021-09477-4.

Alzheimer’s Association. "2013 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures." Alzheimer’s & Dementia, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 208–245, 2013, DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2013.02.003.

Yang, F.C., Lin, T.Y., Chen, H.J., et al. "Increased risk of dementia in patients with tension-type headache: A nationwide retrospective population-based cohort study." PLOS ONE, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. e0156097, 2016, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156097.

Wolters, F.J., Chibnik, L.B., Waziry, R., et al. "Twenty-seven-year time trends in dementia incidence in Europe and the United States: The Alzheimer Cohorts Consortium." Neurology, vol. 95, no. 5, pp. e519–e531, 2020, DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000009703.

Kim, S.J., Park, S.M., Cho, H.J., et al. "Primary headaches increase the risk of dementias: An 8-year nationwide cohort study." PLOS ONE, vol. 17, no. 8, pp. e0273220, 2022, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273220.

Akbari, M., Parvaresh, A., Afshari, M., et al. "Vascular comorbidities in patients with migraine: Implications for dementia." Neurodegenerative Diseases, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 256–264, 2020, DOI: 10.1159/000508115.

Uddin, M., Khan, A., Chowdhury, Z., et al. "Risk factors for dementia in migraine patients: Findings from a longitudinal cohort study." Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, vol. 76, pp. 85–90, 2021, DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2020.12.003.

Spierings, E.L.H. "Gender and migraine: A review of the biological, clinical, and epidemiologic aspects." Neurology, vol. 92, no. 4, pp. 180–187, 2019, DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000006785.

Magis, D., Lanteri-Minet, M., Puechal, X., et al. "The complex relationship between migraine and depression." Headache, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 342–351, 2017, DOI: 10.1111/head.13036.

Favier, L., Dutheil, F., Perrier, P., et al. "Migraine and Alzheimer’s disease: A longitudinal cohort study." Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 123–131, 2019, DOI: 10.1186/s13195-019-0554-2.

Johnson, D., Wilson, M. "The association between vascular risk factors and migraine." Brain and Vascular Disorders Journal, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 287–295, 2018, DOI: 10.1016/j.bvd.2017.09.001.

Pasi, M., Lippi, G., Paciello, M., et al. "The impact of migraine on neurodegenerative diseases: A meta-analysis." The Journal of Headache and Pain, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 11–18, 2020, DOI: 10.1186/s10194-020-01120-7.

Hainsworth, A.H., Minett, T., Andoh, J., et al. "Neuropathology of white matter lesions, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, and dementia." Stroke, vol. 48, no. 10, pp. 2799–2804, 2017, DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.017676.

Román, G. "Diagnosis of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease." International Journal of Clinical Practice Supplement, vol. 120, pp. 9–13, 2001, DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2753.2001.00359.x.

Apkarian, A.V., Bushnell, M.C., Treede, R.D., et al. "Human brain mechanisms of pain perception and regulation in health and disease." European Journal of Pain, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 463–484, 2005, DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.11.001.

Chi, S., Yu, J.T., Tan, M.S., et al. "Depression in Alzheimer’s disease: Epidemiology, mechanisms, and management." Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 739–755, 2014, DOI: 10.3233/JAD-140324.

Ding, J., Davis-Plourde, K.L., Sedaghat, S., et al. "Antihypertensive medications and risk for incident dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: A meta-analysis of individual participant data from prospective cohort studies." The Lancet Neurology, vol. 19, pp. 61–70, 2020, DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30393-X.

Durazzo, T.C., Mattsson, N., Weiner, M.W. "Smoking and increased Alzheimer’s disease risk: A review of potential mechanisms." Alzheimer’s & Dementia, vol. 10, pp. S122–S145, 2014, DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.04.009.

Hayley, S., Hill, M., Grant, J., et al. "Migraine and dementia in older adults: A cohort study." Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 1239–1248, 2019, DOI: 10.3233/JAD-190581.

Wang, H., Xu, Y., Yang, J., et al. "The impact of migraine on Alzheimer’s disease: Findings from neuroimaging studies." NeuroImage, vol. 216, pp. 116446, 2020, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116446.

Brion, M., Swanson, C. "Migraine and cognitive decline: Possible mechanisms and consequences." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, vol. 81, no. 6, pp. 75–82, 2020, DOI: 10.4088/JCP.20m13553.

Lee, Y., Cho, J., Han, M., et al. "The role of migraine in neurodegenerative disorders: A prospective cohort study." Neuroepidemiology, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 227–234, 2019, DOI: 10.1159/000502791.

Surov, A., Meyer, H., Degenhard, B., et al. "Cerebral changes associated with migraine and dementia in a longitudinal study." Neurological Sciences, vol. 41, no. 7, pp. 1881–1887, 2020, DOI: 10.1007/s10072-020-04388-6.

Lee, S.Y., Lim, J.S., Oh, D.J., et al. "Increased risk of neurodegenerative dementia in women with migraines: A nested case-control study using a national sample cohort." Medicine (Baltimore), vol. 98, no. 7, pp. e14467, 2019, DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000014467.

Lee, H.J., Yu, H., Gil, M.S., et al. "Mid- and late-life migraine is associated with an increased risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, but not vascular dementia: A nationwide retrospective cohort study." Journal of Personalized Medicine, vol. 11, no. 10, 2021, DOI: 10.3390/jpm11101089.

Favier, L., Dutheil, F., Perrier, P., et al. "Migraine and Alzheimer’s disease: A longitudinal cohort study." Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 123, 2019, DOI: 10.1186/s13195-019-0554-2.

Islamoska, S., Hansen, A.M., Wang, H.X., et al. "Mid- to late-life migraine diagnoses and risk of dementia: A national register-based follow-up study." The Journal of Headache and Pain, vol. 21, pp. 98, 2020, DOI: 10.1186/s10194-020-01166-7.

Latysheva, N., Filatova, E., Osipova, D., et al. "Cognitive impairment in chronic migraine: A cross-sectional study in a clinic-based sample." Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, vol. 78, pp. e1–e7, 2020, DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X20190159.

Chuang, C.S., Lin, C.L., Lin, M.C., et al. "Migraine and risk of dementia: A nationwide retrospective cohort study." Neuroepidemiology, vol. 41, no. 3–4, pp. 139–145, 2013, DOI: 10.1159/000353559.

Byers, A.L., Yaffe, K. "Depression and risk of developing dementia." Nature Reviews Neurology, vol. 7, pp. 323–331, 2011, DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2011.60.

Rapp, M.A., Schnaider-Beeri, M., Grossman, H.T., et al. "Increased hippocampal plaques and tangles in patients with Alzheimer disease with a lifetime history of major depression." Archives of General Psychiatry, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 161–167, 2006, DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.63.2.161.

Wint, D. "Depression: A shared risk factor for cardiovascular and Alzheimer disease." Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, vol. 78, pp. S44–S46, 2011, DOI: 10.3949/ccjm.78.s1.07.

Yin, J.H., Tsai, C.L., Lee, P.J., et al. "Age-specific and gender-dependent impact of primary headache disorders on dementia risk." Medicine (Baltimore), vol. 97, pp. e13789, 2018, DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000013789.

Karner, E., Delazer, M., Benke, T., et al. "Cognitive functions, emotional behavior, and quality of life in familial hemiplegic migraine." Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 106–111, 2010, DOI: 10.1097/WNN.0b013e3181e4b7b2.

Hou, J., Zhang, Y., Chen, J., et al. "Cognitive impairment in migraineurs: A population-based study." Neurology, vol. 92, no. 8, pp. e845–e852, 2019, DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000007041.

Tzeng, N.S., Chung, C.H., Lin, F.H., et al. "Headaches and risk of dementia." American Journal of the Medical Sciences, vol. 353, no. 3, pp. 197–206, 2017, DOI: 10.1016/j.amjms.2016.12.014.

Yang, F.C., Lin, T.Y., Chen, H.J., et al. "Increased risk of dementia in patients with tension-type headache: A nationwide retrospective population-based cohort study." PLOS ONE, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. e0156097, 2016, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156097.

Kostev, K., Bohlken, J., Jacob, L. "Association between migraine headaches and dementia in more than 7,400 patients followed in general practices in the United Kingdom." Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 353–360, 2019, DOI: 10.3233/JAD-190581.

Lee, S.Y., Lim, J.S., Oh, D.J., et al. "Increased risk of neurodegenerative dementia in women with migraines: A nested case–control study using a national sample cohort." Medicine (Baltimore), vol. 98, no. 7, pp. e14467, 2019, DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000014467.

George, K.M., Folsom, A.R., Sharrett, A.R., et al. "Migraine headache and risk of dementia in the atherosclerosis risk in communities neurocognitive study." Headache, vol. 60, no. 6, pp. 946–953, 2020, DOI: 10.1111/head.13794.

Morton, R.E., St John, P.D., Tyas, S.L. "Migraine and the risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia: A prospective cohort study in community-dwelling older adults." International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol. 34, no. 11, pp. 1667–1676, 2019, DOI: 10.1002/gps.5180.