Near-death experiences are associated with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep intrusions in migraine patients, independent of migraine aura

Bianca Raffaelli*, Pia Kull, Jasper Mecklenburg, Kristin S. Lange, Lucas H. Overeem, Mira P. Fitzek, Anke Siebert, Maureen Steinicke, Paul Triller, Lars Neeb, Jens P. Dreier, Uwe Reuter, Daniel Kondziella

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

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Abstract

Background and purpose
Migraine aura, near-death experiences (NDEs), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep intrusions might share common mechanisms. Here, we investigated the prevalence of NDEs and REM sleep intrusions in people with migraine. We hypothesized that NDEs and REM sleep intrusions are more prevalent in migraine patients with aura than in those without.

Methods
We conducted a prospective cross-sectional cohort study at a tertiary headache center, based on a prespecified sample size (n = 808). Migraine patients completed a series of questionnaires, including questions about demographic and headache characteristics, the 16-item Greyson NDE scale, four questions about REM sleep intrusions, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21).

Results
Of 808 migraine patients (mean age 44.4 ± 13.3 years, 87.0% women), 353 (43.7%) had a current or previous history of migraine aura. Prevalence of NDE was 2.7% and not different in patients with and without aura (2.8% vs. 2.6%; p > 0.999). REM sleep intrusions were reported by 5.4% of participants and in a similar proportion of patients with and without aura (6.3% vs. 4.9%; p = 0.43). However, participants with REM sleep intrusions had had an NDE more often than participants without REM sleep intrusions (n = 5/44, 11.4% vs. n = 17/754, 2.2%; p = 0.005). Higher DASS-21 scores were associated with REM sleep intrusions (p < 0.001).

Conclusions
In this tertiary center cohort study, the prevalence of NDE and REM sleep intrusions was not influenced by migraine aura status. However, we identified an association between NDE and REM sleep intrusions, which corroborates the notion that they might share pathophysiological mechanisms.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftEuropean Journal of Neurology
Vol/bind30
Udgave nummer10
Sider (fra-til)3322-3331
Antal sider10
ISSN1351-5101
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2023

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank Nadine Schulz-Kruckow, Virginia-Natascha Blessing, and Maria Terhart for their assistance in data collection. We are grateful to Claus Peter Nowak, MSc (Institute of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin) for performing the sample size calculation. The authors report no targeted funding. Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.

Funding Information:
Bianca Raffaelli reports research grants from Novartis, (RA 3907/1‐1) and and personal fees from Abbvie/Allergan, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis, and Teva. Pia Kull has nothing to disclose. Jasper Mecklenburg reports personal fees from Novartis. Kristin S. Lange reports personal fees from Teva and Acticor Biotech. Lucas H. Overeem has nothing to disclose. Mira P. Fitzek reports personal fees from Teva. Anke Siebert reports personal fees from TEVA and Novartis. Maureen Steinicke reports personal fees from Abbvie. Paul Triller has nothing to disclose. Lars Neeb reports personal fees from Abbvie/Allergan, BIAL, Lilly, Hormosan, Novartis, and Teva, and research funding from Lily and Teva. Jens P. Dreier reports research grants from (DFG DR 323/10‐1) and (Era‐Net Neuron EBio2, with funds from BMBF 01EW2004). Uwe Reuter reports personal fees from Amgen, Allergan, Abbvie, Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis, electroCore, Medscape, StreaMedUp, and Teva, and research funding from Novartis. Daniel Kondzielle reports personal fees from Wiley, and research funding from, among others, the Lundbeck Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Deutsche Migräne‐ und Kopfschmerzgesellschaft Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.

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