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Perspectives

How does this study impact clinical practice?

  • Migraine could be a midlife risk factor for dementia in later life, and therefore, it is important that migraine patients are monitored.
  • The findings emphasize the need for studies on migraine-dementia pathophysiology, particularly in migraine with aura.
  • Possible mechanisms linking migraine to dementia include allostatic load, cardio-, cerebrovascular- and metabolic diseases as well as behavioral factors. These mechanisms can lead to brain atrophy, changes in brain networks, lesions and neurodegeneration, which in the long term cause dementia.
  • The effects of migraine medications on dementia risk needs to be investigated to assess the impact of mild/moderate migraines.