Migraine and the Risk of Dementia in the General Population.

INTRODUCTION

Migraine and dementia are prevalent disorders with high societal impact; however, research regarding their association remains inconsistent.

METHODS

We analyzed 6888 participants from the prospective Rotterdam Study. Migraine status was assessed (2006-2011) via validated questionnaire. Participants were followed for a median of 9.4 years until January 2020. Dementia diagnoses were confirmed through in-person screenings and medical record linkages, including neuroimaging.

RESULTS

At baseline, 1041 participants (15.1%) had migraine. Over 62,180 person-years, 491 participants developed dementia (379 [77.2%] with Alzheimer's). Cox models revealed that migraine was associated with a lower risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.95) and Alzheimer's disease (HR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.40-0.85).

DISCUSSION: This study suggests that migraine is associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Whether this reflects biological neuroprotection or methodological factors is currently unclear, necessitating further investigation.