Volume 30, Issue 175, September 2026

Migraine and neurodevelopmental disorders: shared mechanisms linking autism and attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder

Aleksandra Frączek¹, Angelika Klaudia Juszczyk², Gabriela Kaptur³, Anna Mierzwa⁴, Sylwia Julia Pietrajtis^2♦, Kinga Zofia Rosołowska⁵, Anna Wrona⁴

¹Nikolay Pirogov Specialized District Hospital in Łódź, Łódź, Poland
²St. Aleksander Hospital in Kielce, Kielce, Poland
³The Father Jerzy Popiełuszko Bielański Hospital, Warsaw, Poland
⁴The Independent Public Team of Healthcare Facilities in Wyszków, Wyszków, Poland
⁵St. Raphael's Voivodeship Specialist Hospital in Czerwona Góra, Chęciny, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Sylwia Julia Pietrajtis, St. Aleksander Hospital in Kielce, Generała Tadeusza Kościuszki 25, 25-316 Kielce, Poland

ABSTRACT

Background: Migraine is a neurological disorder that often occurs alongside psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions. Evidence of an association between migraine and both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is emerging. However, the mechanisms that underlie these relationships are not fully understood. Aim: This narrative review concerns the evidence relating to the association between migraine, ASD, and ADHD, with a focus on their shared clinical features and the neurobiological mechanisms. Methods: A search was conducted on PubMed, and the reference lists of relevant publications were reviewed to identify papers published between 2020 and May 2026 that examined migraine in relation to ASD, ADHD, or neurodevelopmental disorders. Studies focused on epidemiological associations, clinical features, genetic susceptibility, and possible biological mechanisms. The relevant evidence was summarised in a narrative form. Results: Available evidence supports an association between migraine and both ASD and ADHD, with consistent findings concerning headache burden and sensory abnormalities. Several mechanisms have been identified, including changes in sensory processing, increased cortical excitability, neurotransmitter dysregulation, autonomic dysfunction, neuroinflammatory pathways, and sleep disturbances. Genetic studies have shown a shared susceptibility between migraine and neurodevelopmental disorders, even though the extent of the genetic overlap differs. There is also evidence of an association between maternal migraine and the child developing ADHD. Conclusions: Migraine and neurodevelopmental disorders may have some overlapping biological and environmental weaknesses. Further studies are required to establish causality and discover whether a better understanding of these relationships could lead to more individualized clinical management.

Keywords: migraine, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, neurodevelopmental disorders, sensory processing

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e192ms3981

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v30i175.e192ms3981

Published: 23 September 2026