Migraine, Tension-Type Headache and Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Objectives: The relationship between migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is controversial, while a common pathophysiological link remains obscure. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the association between PD, migraine and TTH. Materials and Methods: Following PRISMA, we searched MEDLINE, WebofScience, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov up to 1 July 2022 for observational studies examining the prevalence and/or associations of PD with migraine and TTH. We pooled proportions, standardized mean differences (SMD) and odds ratios (OR) with random effects models. The risk of bias was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (PROSPERO CRD42021273238). Results: Out of 1031 screened studies, 12 were finally included in our review (median quality score 6/9). The prevalence of any headache among PD patients was estimated at 49.1% (760 PD patients; 95% CI 24.8–73.6), migraine prevalence at 17.2% (1242 PD patients; 95% CI 9.9–25.9), while 61.5% (316 PD patients; 95% CI 52.6–70.1) of PD patients with migraine reported headache improvement after PD onset. Overall, migraine was not associated with PD (302,165 individuals; OR(pooled) = 1.11; 95% CI 0.72–1.72).However, cohort studies demonstrated a positive association of PD among lifetime migraineurs (143,583 individuals; OR(pooled) = 1.54, 95% CI 1.28–1.84), while studies on 12-month migraine prevalence yielded an inverse association (5195 individuals; OR(pooled) = 0.64, 95% CI 0.43–0.97). Similar findings were reported by 3 studies with data on the TTH-PD relationship (high prevalence, positive association when examined prospectively and an inverse relationship on 12-month prevalence). These data were not quantitatively synthesized due to methodological differences among the studies. Finally, PD patients suffering from any headache had a lower motor unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS) score (503 PD patients; SMD −0.39; 95% CI −0.57 to −0.21) compared to PD patients not reporting headache. There is an unclear association of headaches in genetic PD cohorts. Conclusions: Observational data suggest that migraine and TTH could be linked to PD, but the current literature is conflicting.