Depression and treatment with anti-calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) (ligand or receptor) antibodies for migraine

Background and purpose: 

The aim was to evaluate the effect of anti-calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) (ligand or receptor) antibodies on depressive symptoms in subjects with migraine and to determine whether depressive symptoms predict treatment response. 

Methods: 

Patients with migraine treated with erenumab and fremanezumab at the Leiden Headache Centre completed daily E-headache diaries. A control group was included. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaires at baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1). First, the effect of treatment on the reduction in HADS-D and CES-D scores was assessed, with reduction in depression scores as the dependent variable and reduction in monthly migraine days (MMD) and treatment with anti-CGRP medication as independent variables. Second, depression as a predictor of treatment response was investigated, using the absolute reduction in MMD as a dependent variable and age, gender, MMD, active depression, impact, stress and locus of control scores as independent variables. 

Results: 

In total, n = 108 patients were treated with erenumab, n = 90 with fremanezumab and n = 68 were without active treatment. Treatment with anti-CGRP medication was positively associated with a reduction in the HADS-D (β = 1.65, p = 0.01) compared to control, independent of MMD reduction. However, the same effect was not found for the CES-D (β = 2.15, p = 0.21). Active depression predicted poorer response to erenumab (p = 0.02) but not to fremanezumab (p = 0.09). 

Conclusion: 

Anti-CGRP (ligand or receptor) monoclonals lead to improvement of depressive symptoms in individuals with migraine, independent of migraine reduction. Depression may predict treatment response to erenumab but not to fremanezumab.