Risk Factors and Consequences of Cutaneous Allodynia among Individuals with Migraine: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cutaneous allodynia is a frequent complaint among individuals with migraine and serves as a critical marker of central sensitization, which plays a pivotal role in migraine pathophysiology. This can exacerbate migraine severity and diminish quality of life. Understanding the risk factors associated with cutaneous allodynia is essential, as it can help identify individuals at higher risk of developing this condition and guide early intervention strategies. Identifying its consequences provides critical insights into disease progression, treatment response, and disability. Hence, this scoping review aimed to determine the risk factors and consequences of cutaneous allodynia in individuals with migraine. RECENT FINDINGS: A total of 47 studies were included from the 2116 retrieved studies. Most of the studies adopted a cross-sectional design (n = 29). Other designs included cohort (n = 8), longitudinal (n = 4), experimental (n = 2), qualitative (exploratory) (n = 2), and observational (n = 1) research designs. Most participants were individuals diagnosed with migraine aged 18–65 (n = 40), and some studies included the pediatric population (n = 5). The study highlighted various risk factors such as psychological, migraine-associated, neurophysiological, biological, socio-demographic, and lifestyle-related factors. The identified consequences were classified as mental health, physical health, neurophysiological, migraine-associated, and treatment-related consequences. The evaluation of risk factors and consequences of cutaneous allodynia among individuals with migraine significantly highlighted the multidimensional risk factors of cutaneous allodynia and its debilitating effects on the lives of the affected individuals. These factors are significant for designing targeted, multifaceted interventions for managing cutaneous allodynia and thus provide an essential step in effective migraine management.