Causal Relationship Between Migraine and Postpartum Depression: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study

Xian-Jin Zhou,1,2,* Rui Chen,3,* Yu-Ming Niu4,5 1School of Gongli Hospital Medical Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji Universi...

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Main Authors: Zhou XJ, Chen R, Niu YM
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Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Pain Research
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Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/causal-relationship-between-migraine-and-postpartum-depression-a-two-s-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR
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author Zhou XJ
Chen R
Niu YM
author_facet Zhou XJ
Chen R
Niu YM
author_sort Zhou XJ
collection DOAJ
description Xian-Jin Zhou,1,2,* Rui Chen,3,* Yu-Ming Niu4,5 1School of Gongli Hospital Medical Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Stomatology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Stomatology, Gongli Hospital of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 5Administrative Office, School of Gongli Hospital Medical Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yu-Ming Niu, Department of Stomatology, Gongli Hospital of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13581370999, Email niuyuming@yeah.netBackground: The possible causative relationship between migraine and postpartum depression (PPD) is examined in this study. Prior research has shown a strong correlation between the two conditions, but the exact cause is unknown.Methods: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was employed to assess causality, utilizing discovery and replication samples from publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets. Causal effects were estimated using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, MR-Egger regression, and three additional MR approaches. Sensitivity analyses, including tests for heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and leave-one-out analysis, were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the findings.Results: Overall, no significant causal effect of migraine on PPD risk was identified in either the discovery (IVW: OR=1.018; 95% CI=0.928– 1.117; P=0.706) or replication analysis (IVW: OR=2.097; 95% CI=0.328– 13.409; P=0.434) in forward MR analysis. Similarly, no causal effect of migraine on PPD was observed in female-only analyses. Moreover, reverse MR analysis found no significant causal effect of PPD on migraine risk in discovery (IVW: OR=1.036; 95% CI=0.999– 1.075; P=0.057) or replication (IVW: OR=1.001; 95% CI=1.000– 1.002; P=0.274) analysis, and no causal effect was observed in female-only analyses. No evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was detected in sensitivity tests.Conclusion: The current MR study indicates no significant causal relationship between migraine and PPD.Keywords: migraine, postpartum depression, Mendelian randomization, causal effect
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spelling doaj-art-c12cd275347c4f6aa5a29cd03b2bafab2025-08-20T03:08:21ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Pain Research1178-70902025-07-01Volume 18Issue 136753687105020Causal Relationship Between Migraine and Postpartum Depression: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization StudyZhou XJ0Chen RNiu YM1School of Gongli Hospital Medical TechnologyDepartment of StomatologyXian-Jin Zhou,1,2,* Rui Chen,3,* Yu-Ming Niu4,5 1School of Gongli Hospital Medical Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Stomatology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Stomatology, Gongli Hospital of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 5Administrative Office, School of Gongli Hospital Medical Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yu-Ming Niu, Department of Stomatology, Gongli Hospital of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13581370999, Email niuyuming@yeah.netBackground: The possible causative relationship between migraine and postpartum depression (PPD) is examined in this study. Prior research has shown a strong correlation between the two conditions, but the exact cause is unknown.Methods: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was employed to assess causality, utilizing discovery and replication samples from publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets. Causal effects were estimated using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, MR-Egger regression, and three additional MR approaches. Sensitivity analyses, including tests for heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and leave-one-out analysis, were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the findings.Results: Overall, no significant causal effect of migraine on PPD risk was identified in either the discovery (IVW: OR=1.018; 95% CI=0.928– 1.117; P=0.706) or replication analysis (IVW: OR=2.097; 95% CI=0.328– 13.409; P=0.434) in forward MR analysis. Similarly, no causal effect of migraine on PPD was observed in female-only analyses. Moreover, reverse MR analysis found no significant causal effect of PPD on migraine risk in discovery (IVW: OR=1.036; 95% CI=0.999– 1.075; P=0.057) or replication (IVW: OR=1.001; 95% CI=1.000– 1.002; P=0.274) analysis, and no causal effect was observed in female-only analyses. No evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was detected in sensitivity tests.Conclusion: The current MR study indicates no significant causal relationship between migraine and PPD.Keywords: migraine, postpartum depression, Mendelian randomization, causal effecthttps://www.dovepress.com/causal-relationship-between-migraine-and-postpartum-depression-a-two-s-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPRMigrainepostpartum depressionMendelian randomizationcausal effect
spellingShingle Zhou XJ
Chen R
Niu YM
Causal Relationship Between Migraine and Postpartum Depression: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
Journal of Pain Research
Migraine
postpartum depression
Mendelian randomization
causal effect
title Causal Relationship Between Migraine and Postpartum Depression: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
title_full Causal Relationship Between Migraine and Postpartum Depression: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
title_fullStr Causal Relationship Between Migraine and Postpartum Depression: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
title_full_unstemmed Causal Relationship Between Migraine and Postpartum Depression: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
title_short Causal Relationship Between Migraine and Postpartum Depression: A Two-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
title_sort causal relationship between migraine and postpartum depression a two sample bidirectional mendelian randomization study
topic Migraine
postpartum depression
Mendelian randomization
causal effect
url https://www.dovepress.com/causal-relationship-between-migraine-and-postpartum-depression-a-two-s-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR
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AT niuym causalrelationshipbetweenmigraineandpostpartumdepressionatwosamplebidirectionalmendelianrandomizationstudy