What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to assess whether migraine is a single disorder along a frequency spectrum or distinct types based on headache frequency.

Is migraine a spectrum disorder? Questioning the concept of “episodic” and “chronic” migraine using population-based data from 10,226 adults with migraine from 14 countries

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Population-based data reveals migraine is better conceptualized as a spectrum disorder rather than distinct types.

This study aims to assess whether migraine is a single disorder along a frequency spectrum or distinct types based on headache frequency.
Meta-analysis of individual participant data from 15 population-based surveys.
Participants randomly selected (ages 18-65) using the HARDSHIP questionnaire.
Four migraine groups identified based on headache characteristics and medication-overuse headache presence.
Out of 36,407 participants, 10,266 (28.2%) met migraine criteria, with 896 (2.5%) having concomitant medication-overuse headache.
Migraine characteristics and quality of life declined linearly with increasing headache frequency; no inflections at chronic migraine thresholds.
Gender and migraine group regressions showed similar patterns, indicating headache frequency impacts quality of life and workdays lost.

Husøy et al. (2026) studied this question.

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