Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Migraine is the most common cause of headache which affects 15% of female and 6% of male populations. Patients with migraine may have psychological problems, thus, association of migraine with depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders should be considered for choosing the best management approach.

Methods: In this case-control analytical study, one hundred and twenty patients with migraine were recruited among patients who attended the Psychiatry Clinic of Farshchian Hospital in Hamedan, Iran during 2008- 2009. The patients met the IHS criteria for migraine and none had disorders, such as Huntington disease, that are associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The people who accompanied patients attending the Internal Medicine Clinic of the Hospital and had no history of migraine headaches were recruited as the controls. Maudsley's inventory was used for the diagnosis of OCD. Finally, the data were analyzed by SPSS software.

Results: In the control group, 3 (2.5%) and in the case group 11 (9.17%) people had OCD (P=0.024). All of those with OCD in the control group and 9 out of 11 in the case group were female. There were no cases of OCD among patients with mild migraine. Among 36 patients with moderate headache 5 (13.89%) people had OCD and among 62 people with severe migraine 6 (9.68%) had OCD (P=0.510).

Conclusion: The prevalence of OCD in patients with migraine was significantly higher than the normal population. Special attention to comorbid conditions such as OCD is necessary in the management of migraine headaches.