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The effect of the lunar cycle on migraine: preliminary findings from a retrospective study

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Abstract

Aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the lunar cycle and attacks observed in patients diagnosed with migraine and under follow-up in our pediatric neurology clinic.

Methods

Cases diagnosed with migraine and under follow-up at the Balıkesir University Medical Faculty Pediatric Neurology Clinic, Turkey, undergoing attacks between 01.09.2019 and 01.09.2021, and whose attacks were recorded were included in the study. Patients’ migraine attacks were investigated retrospectively, and the stage of the lunar cycle at which they occurred, based on the lunar calendar, was determined.

Results

The mean age of the patients in the study was 13.39 ± 2.64 (8–17) years. Female gender was observed in the majority of attacks in all lunar cycles, and was most common in the first quarter. Headache was most common in the frontal region during the first quarter and full moon, and auras were also most frequent in the first quarter. Stress and exercise were the most frequent migraine-triggering factors in the first and third quarters, and in the full moon. Migraine attacks were shortest in duration in the full moon, and longest in the first quarter. The frequency of attacks (per week) was highest in the new moon and third quarter, and lowest in the full moon.

Conclusions

This study investigated the relationship between migraine attack characteristics in children and the lunar cycle. It represents the first such investigation of the association between the lunar cycle and pediatric migraine attacks.

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Funding

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. They also received no support from any organization for the submitted work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Balikesir University, 10145, Balikesir, Turkey

    Hilal Aydin

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, 02200, Adiyaman, Turkey

    Ibrahim Hakan Bucak

Authors
  1. Hilal Aydin
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  2. Ibrahim Hakan Bucak
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hilal Aydin.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Approval for the study was granted by the local ethical committee prior to commencement (no. 2022/01).

Informed consent

The ethical committee consented to the study being conducted without patients’ consent because of its retrospective nature.

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Aydin, H., Bucak, I.H. The effect of the lunar cycle on migraine: preliminary findings from a retrospective study. Acta Neurol Belg 122, 1583–1588 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-022-02073-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-022-02073-1

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