Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42593735›Full record

ArticleJMIR formative research2026

Impact of Migraine and its Management in 5 Gulf Countries: Results of Social Media Platforms Listening Study.

Taoufik Alsaadi, Abubaker Almadani, Suhail Al-Rukn, Alessandro Terruzzi, Ali Mohamed Hassan, Osama Robin El-Alamy, Ali Al Balushi, Fatema Abdullah, Nadine Tarcha, Haytham Ahmed and 1 more

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Article in JMIR formative research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Taoufik AlsaadiChief Medical officer and the Chair of the Neurology Department, American Center for Psychiatry & Neurology (ACPN) & Adjunct Professor of Neurology, Khalifa University Abu Dhabi - UAE, Khalifa University Abu Dhabi - UAE, Abu Dhabi - UAE, AE.
Abubaker AlmadaniDepartment of Neurology, Consultant Neurology , Department of Neurology Rashid Hospital, Dubai (UAE, Dubai, AE.
Suhail Al-RuknDepartment of Neurology, Consultant Neurology, Head of Stroke program, Rashid hospital, Dubai(UAE), Dubai, AE.
Alessandro TerruzziDepartment of Neurology, Consultant Neurology, Head of Neurology Department, Mediclinic City Hospital, Dubai (UAE), Dubai, AE.
Ali Mohamed HassanDepartment of Neurology, Consultant Neurology and Chief of Neurology Division, Sheikh Tahnoon Medical city and Tawam hospitals, Al Ain, Al Ain, AE.
Osama Robin El-AlamyDepartment of Neurology, Senior Consultant Neurologist and Head of Neurology Department, Hamad Medical Corporation Doha, Qatar, Doha, QA.
Ali Al BalushiDepartment of Neurology, Vascular Neurologist and Neuroendovascular Surgeon, Head of Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit, Khoula Hospital, Oman, Muscat, OM.
Fatema AbdullahDepartment of Neurology, Consultant Neurology, Salmaniya Medical Complex Governmental Hospitals, Bahrain, Manama, BH.
Nadine TarchaDepartment of Medical Affairs, Pfizer Inc. LTD, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Medical Director - Pfizer Inc. LTD, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, AE.
Haytham AhmedDepartment of Medical Affairs, Pfizer Inc. LTD, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Senior Medical Manager I&I - IM - Pfizer Inc. LTD, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, AE.
Mohamed HegabDepartment of Medical Affairs, Pfizer Inc. LTD, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Medical Science Liaison Migraine - Pfizer Inc. LTD, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, AE.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMigraine is a common neurological disorder that affects a significant proportion of the global population but remains largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. This study analysed discussions related to migraine in English and Arabic across Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Oman, and Qatar.

objectiveSocial media listening may help to identify gaps in migraine management and guide the development of strategies to address them. This study aims to analyse discussions related to migraine in both English and Arabic across various social media platforms. By applying social analytics to the bilingual discourse on migraine in the Gulf region, which is often underrepresented, we seek to integrate clinical perspectives with regional digital conversations and identify potential gaps in awareness and care pathways.

methodsThe study was conducted using a retrospective and descriptive approach to social analytics. The study analysed discussions about migraine from over 100 million websites in English and Arabic across Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, and Qatar between January 1, 2018, and June 30, 2022. Vendor implemented rule based processes, including keyword matching, language identification, and structured data extraction, were used to evaluate publicly available content in English and Arabic.

resultsOut of 53,000 mentions, 33920 (64%) occurred on Twitter (X), and men were 1.1 times more likely to discuss migraine than women. Among patient conversations, the impact of migraine on overall health was often discussed, including mentions of pregnancy 1060 (2%), vision problems 1325 (2.5%), and sleep disruption 1590 (3%). Medications like paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen, and triptans were frequently mentioned, alongside self-management treatments such as cannabidiol soft gels, cupping, and aroma oils. Patients often used TikTok to share experiences and seek advice. Many patients actively sought to connect and engage with other migraine sufferers for support and to share experiences. Social media served as a valuable source of information for patients, with healthcare professionals (HCPs) actively sharing insights and resources through these platforms.

conclusionsThe study finds that analysis of migraine discourse across the 5 Gulf countries reveals active engagement by patients and healthcare professionals in migraine-related discussions on various social media platforms. However, many rely on self-management and alternative medicine instead of seeking professional medical help, which leads to improper management of the symptoms. The findings should be regarded as compelling descriptive signals in discourse, rather than predictive or inferential outcomes. Social media listening may help to identify possible gaps in management and suggest areas for improvement, but these findings need further validation. CLINICALTRIAL:

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PMID42593735

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.