How Common Is Headache Among Psychiatric Outpatients—and Can CGRP Drugs Help?
About 14% of psychiatric outpatients had headache diagnoses, and an exploratory case series suggests CGRP-targeted therapies may benefit those with migraine.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
14.3% of psychiatric outpatients had headache diagnoses, with the majority managed within psychiatry departments rather than neurology.
Key Numbers
- 2,525 psychiatric outpatients reviewed; 360 (14.3%) had headache diagnoses
- Headache types: generic headache 56.4%, migraine 25.6%, tension-type 12.8%
- Psychiatry managed 42.5% of headache cases; neurology managed 11.7%
- 7 patients received CGRP antibodies; all had headache improvement
- Mean age of CGRP patients: 48.4 years; 6 of 7 were women
How They Did This
Retrospective chart review of all psychiatric outpatients at a 600-bed Japanese general hospital over one year, with an exploratory CGRP case series.
Why This Research Matters
Headache in psychiatric patients is often attributed to their mental condition and undertreated. CGRP therapies may offer new options for these patients.
The Bigger Picture
The overlap between headache disorders and psychiatric conditions is common, and CGRP-targeted therapies represent a growing area where neurology and psychiatry intersect.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Retrospective chart review in a single center. Headache diagnoses via insurance codes may be inaccurate. CGRP case series was exploratory with few patients.
Questions This Raises
- ?Are psychiatric outpatients being undertreated for primary headache disorders?
- ?Could CGRP-targeted therapies improve both headache and psychiatric outcomes?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 14.3% Prevalence of headache diagnoses among psychiatric outpatients
- Evidence Grade:
- Retrospective chart review with exploratory case series. Low evidence level; hypothesis-generating.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025 covering April 2023 to March 2025.
- Original Title:
- Characteristics and management of headache among psychiatric outpatients at a Japanese general hospital: A retrospective study with an exploratory CGRP case series.
- Published In:
- PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 4(4), e70235 (2025)
- Authors:
- Otani, Kyohei, Imbe, Nobuyasu, Shindo, Ryota
- Database ID:
- RPEP-12892
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is headache common in psychiatric patients?
Yes. This study found 14.3% of psychiatric outpatients had headache diagnoses, with migraine and tension-type headache being most common after generic headache labels.
What are CGRP therapies?
CGRP-targeted monoclonal antibodies are newer migraine treatments that block calcitonin gene-related peptide, a key molecule in migraine pathways.
Read More on RethinkPeptides
Cite This Study
https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/RPEP-12892APA
Otani, Kyohei; Imbe, Nobuyasu; Shindo, Ryota. (2025). Characteristics and management of headache among psychiatric outpatients at a Japanese general hospital: A retrospective study with an exploratory CGRP case series.. PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 4(4), e70235. https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.70235
MLA
Otani, Kyohei, et al. "Characteristics and management of headache among psychiatric outpatients at a Japanese general hospital: A retrospective study with an exploratory CGRP case series.." PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.70235
RethinkPeptides
RethinkPeptides Research Database. "Characteristics and management of headache among psychiatric..." RPEP-12892. Retrieved from https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/otani-2025-characteristics-and-management-of
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkPeptides research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.