Observational studyThe journal of headache and pain2024
Photophobia is associated with lower sleep quality in individuals with migraine: results from the American Registry for Migraine Research (ARMR).
Observational study in The journal of headache and pain, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Spectral Composition of Ambient White Light Modulates Photophobia and Headache Intensity During Migraine Attacks.Neurology and therapy · 2026Article
- Linking Photophobia, Sleep Disturbances, and Migraine Chronicity: Evidence From a Retrospective Analysis.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Insomnia symptoms amongst those with acute post-traumatic headache attributed to mild traumatic brain injury.Headache · 2025Article
- Validation of an 8-item self-administered questionnaire for assessing migraine-related sensory hypersensitivities (MHQ-8).The journal of headache and pain · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPatients with migraine often have poor sleep quality between and during migraine attacks. Furthermore, extensive research has identified photophobia as the most common and most bothersome symptom in individuals with migraine, second only to headache. Seeking the comfort of darkness is a common strategy for managing pain during an attack and preventing its recurrence between episodes. Given the well-established effects of daily light exposure on circadian activity rhythms and sleep quality, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between photophobia symptoms and sleep quality in a cohort of patients with migraine.
methodsA cross-sectional observational study was conducted using existing data extracted from the American Registry for Migraine Research (ARMR). Participants with a migraine diagnosis who had completed the baseline questionnaires (Photosensitivity Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2)), and selected questions of the ARMR Sleep questionnaire were included. Models were created to describe the relationship of photophobia and photophilia with various sleep facets, including sleep quality (SQ), sleep disturbance (SDis), sleep onset latency (SOL), sleep-related impairments (SRI), and insomnia. Each model was controlled for age, sex, headache frequency, anxiety, and depression.
resultsA total of 852 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis (mean age (SD) = 49.8 (13.9), 86.6% (n = 738) female). Those with photophobia exhibited significantly poorer sleep quality compared to patients without photophobia (p < 0.001). Photophobia scores were associated with SQ (p < 0.001), SDis (p < 0.001), SOL (p = 0.011), SRI (p = 0.020), and insomnia (p = 0.005) after controlling for age, sex, headache frequency, depression, and anxiety, signifying that higher levels of photophobia were associated with worse sleep-related outcomes. Conversely, photophilia scores were associated with better sleep-related outcomes for SQ (p < 0.007), SOL (p = 0.010), and insomnia (p = 0.014).
conclusionResults suggest that photophobia is a significant predictor of poor sleep quality and sleep disturbances in migraine. These results underscore the necessity for comprehensive and systematic investigations into the intricate interplay between photophobia and sleep to enhance our understanding and develop tailored solutions for individuals with migraine.
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