Abstract Details

Title Daily Light Exposure Habits of Youth with Migraine and its Association with Headache Frequency

Topic Headache

Presentation(s) P1 - Poster Session 1 (8:00 AM-9:00 AM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 15-015

Objective To determine the feasibility of measuring daily light exposure with wearable light loggers in adolescents and young adults with migraine and explore the relationship between light exposure and migraine burden.

Background Over 80% of individuals with migraine experience photophobia, but it is unknown if this leads to light-avoidant behavior and how this impacts circadian biology. The technological development of wearable continuous light loggers allows for real-world data collection to address these questions.

Design/Methods Adolescents and young adults (15 – 21 years old) with migraine were recruited from a specialty pediatric headache clinic from November 2024 and March 2025. Each participant carried a chest-worn light logger and completed a text-based daily diary during a typical week. Melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance (mEDI) was derived from light logger measurements and used to calculate percent time spent within recommended light exposure levels for optimal circadian photo-entrainment during the day, 3 hours pre-bed, and night. To measure shifts in daily light exposure, 24-hour light exposure patterns of each participant were compared to the mean across participants.

Results Twenty adolescents and young adults with migraine (median age 17 years, 70% female) completed the study. Data completion rates were high (97.1% light logger and 100% daily diary compliance). Participants spent a mean of 15.1% of daylight hours exposed to at least the minimum recommended light levels, while they were more consistently under maximum recommended light levels 3 hours prior to bed (78.1%), and at night (99.1%). Participants whose light exposure was occurred later in the day reported a greater number of headache days (Rho = 0.66, p = 0.002) and migraine days (Rho = 0.60, p = 0.005) per month.

Conclusions Measuring daily light exposure is feasible and clinically relevant in populations with photophobia. The relationship between delayed daily light exposure and increased migraine burden warrants further study.

Authors/Disclosures
Carlyn Patterson Gentile, MD PRESENTER	The institution of Dr. Patterson Gentile has received research support from NIH/NINDS. The institution of Dr. Patterson Gentile has received research support from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Patterson Gentile has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Faculty, Annual Scientific Meeting, Scottsdale Meeting with American Headache Society. Dr. Patterson Gentile has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Early Career Awardee with American Headache Society. Dr. Patterson Gentile has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving as a Research Prize Awardee and travel expense coverage with NIH Pain Consortium. Dr. Patterson Gentile has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Faculty, Speaker with Headache Cooperative of New England. Dr. Patterson Gentile has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Speaker, Awardee with ��ɫ��.
Ryan Shah	Ryan Shah has nothing to disclose.
Blanca Marquez de Prado	An immediate family member of Blanca Marquez de Prado has stock in Latus Bio. An immediate family member of Blanca Marquez de Prado has received intellectual property interests from a discovery or technology relating to health care.
Nichelle Raj	Nichelle Raj has nothing to disclose.
Christina L. Szperka, MD, FAAN (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)	The institution of Dr. Szperka has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Teva. The institution of Dr. Szperka has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Abbvie. The institution of Dr. Szperka has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Lundbeck. Dr. Szperka has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Eli Lilly. Dr. Szperka has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Upsher Smith. The institution of Dr. Szperka has received research support from PCORI. Dr. Szperka has a non-compensated relationship as a Cochair Scientific Committee with American Headache Society that is relevant to AAN interests or activities.
Andrew D. Hershey, MD, PhD, FAAN, FAHS, FAAN	The institution of Dr. Hershey has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving as a Consultant for Amgen. The institution of Dr. Hershey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Lundbeck. The institution of Dr. Hershey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Supernus. The institution of Dr. Hershey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Upsher-Smith. The institution of Dr. Hershey has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Teva. The institution of Dr. Hershey has received research support from Amgen. The institution of Dr. Hershey has received research support from NIH, NINDS. The institution of Dr. Hershey has received research support from Bioahaven. The institution of Dr. Hershey has received research support from Upsher-Smith. Dr. Hershey has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care.
Geoffrey K. Aguirre, MD, PhD (University of Pennsylvania, Department of Neurology)	Dr. Aguirre has received stock or an ownership interest from Nia therapeutics. The institution of Dr. Aguirre has received research support from Lion's Foundation. The institution of Dr. Aguirre has received research support from National Institutes of Health. The institution of Dr. Aguirre has received research support from Johnson and Johnson. The institution of Dr. Aguirre has received research support from Department of Defense.

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