Risk of migraine development among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A nationwide longitudinal study

Objective: Studies have suggested that impaired sensory processing is a shared characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and migraine. However, the association between ASD and migraine remains unclear. Methods: We examined 18,035 children and adolescents with ASD and 18,035 age- and sexmatched controls whose data were recorded in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 2001 and 2011. We monitored the individuals until the end of 2011 and identified those who developed migraine during the follow-up period. Results: After adjustment for medical and psychiatric comorbidities, children and adolescents with ASD had a significantly higher risk of developing migraine than did those without ASD (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.71, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.63-4.51). Sensitivity analysis after the exclusion of the first year of the observation period (HR: 2.31, 95 % CI: 1.38-3.89) or medical and psychiatric comorbidities (HR: 2.38, 95 % CI: 1.11-5.15) revealed comparable between-group results. Conclusions: Children and adolescents with ASD were more likely to develop migraine later in life compared with those without ASD. ASD is an independent risk factor for migraine, regardless of the psychiatric and medical comorbidities involved. Research on the mechanisms underlying the association between ASD and migraine is warranted.