SynthesisJournal of neurology2026
Digital screen exposure and migraine burden: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundDigital screen exposure has risen sharply across paediatric, adolescent, and adult populations, and many individuals with migraine report that screen use triggers or worsens attacks.
objectiveTo systematically review and meta-analyse the association between digital screen exposure and migraine/headache burden, including frequency, severity, disability, and related secondary outcomes, and to summarise the proposed neurobiological mechanisms.
methodsThis review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD420261404162) and conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidance. Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched without date restrictions for English-language observational and interventional studies of adolescents or adults with migraine or primary headache and a quantifiable measure of digital screen exposure. Two reviewers independently screened records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using a modified Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI)/AHRQ checklist for cross-sectional and observational studies. When ten or more studies reported an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for migraine or headache risk associated with higher versus lower screen exposure, a random-effects (DerSimonian-Laird) meta-analysis was performed. Heterogeneity was quantified with I
resultsTwenty-two studies (k = 22; total N = 14,763) met eligibility criteria. Ten studies (k = 10; N = 11,218) reporting OR data were pooled: higher screen exposure was associated with significantly greater odds of migraine/headache (pooled OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.38-1.86, p < 0.001), with moderate heterogeneity (I
conclusionDigital screen exposure is associated with approximately 60% greater odds of migraine or headache, with biologically plausible mechanisms but low-certainty evidence drawn almost entirely from cross-sectional studies. Screen exposure should be regarded as a modifiable, clinically assessable factor in migraine care, while prospective, objectively measured, and interventional research is needed to establish causality and to test targeted mitigation strategies. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration: CRD420261404162.
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