Link Between Migraines and Behavioral Disorders

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is one of the most common behavioral disorders in children. Now, new research shows migraines may be to blame for some ODD cases.
Researchers in, Ohio studied children between ages 6 and 17 who were diagnosed with a migraine condition. Participants were given a questionnaire and were further evaluated during a psychological interview. Results of the study show there is a relationship between pediatric migraines and ODD. Researchers say children with migraines were more likely to have ODD than children who did not experience migraines.

Children with ODD typically have trouble accepting rules, are often argumentative, and have difficulty relating to their peers. Doctors, say parents of children who suffer migraines often report disruptive behavior , children with migraines miss more school and often lose sleep, which can contribute to the types of behavioral symptoms often associated with ADD, CD and ODD, but this is the first study to demonstrate there could be a direct link between migraines and behavioral disorders.

Researchers say parents should track the frequency of their children’s headaches to determine if behavioral problems could be linked to the episodes. They say children should be treated aggressively if headaches occur more than three times a month.

However more research is needed to confirm these findings. Researchers say: In the future, they hope to examine the correlation between chronic daily headaches and behavioral issues. We’d also like to determine if depression and anxiety are higher in children with migraines. We already know this to be true with adults.