Effects of a Single Session of OnabotulinumtoxinA Therapy on Sleep Quality and Psychological Measures: Preliminary Findings in a Population of Chronic Migraineurs

Abstract

Chronic migraine is a burdensome condition, and onabotulinumtoxinA is revealed to be an effective therapy. Migraine shows a bidirectional relationship with sleep, but the effects of preventive therapies on sleep quality are poorly studied. This study aims to evaluate the effects of a single session of onabotulinumtoxinA on patients' sleep quality and correlates the results with measures of comorbid anxiety/depression. Patients completed self-administrable questionnaires about sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-PSQI) and psychological symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition-BDI-II-and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-HADS-subscales "a" and "d" for anxiety and depression, respectively), and reported migraine frequency at baseline and after 12 weeks. The 42 included patients showed a significant reduction in migraine days (from 20.6 +/- 6.0 to 13.6 +/- 6.2, p < 0.001), while no changes were observed in sleep quality (PSQI score from 11.0 +/- 5.0 to 9.8 +/- 4.6, p = 0.277) or psychological measures (BDI-II from 16.7 +/- 10.2 to 15.7 +/- 10.3, p = 0.678; HADS-a from 10.3 +/- 4.8 to 9.3 +/- 5.5, p = 0.492; and HADS-d from 7.2 +/- 3.9 to 7.1 +/- 5.0, p = 0.901). On the other hand, a strong correlation among PSQI, BDI-II, HADS-a, and HADS-d scores (p < 0.001, rho > 0.7) was found. Despite its efficacy in migraine prevention, a single session of onabotulinumtoxinA was not able to affect patients' sleep quality or their psychological symptoms.