Clinical Characteristics of Migraine and Serum Beta-Endorphin Levels in Undergraduate Students in Osun State, Nigeria

Purpose: Migraine is a common neurological disorder diagnosed using the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD). Beta-endorphin has pain-reducing properties and may serve as a future prognostic marker for migraine. This study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics of migraine and compare serum beta-endorphin levels in migraine patients and healthy controls among young undergraduate students.Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Fifty participants with migraine headaches were recruited using purposive sampling according to the ICHD-3 criteria. Healthy controls were recruited using convenience sampling and matched for age and sex. A study questionnaire was administered to all participants. Serum beta-endorphin concentrations in both migraineurs and healthy controls were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The beta-endorphin levels between migraine patients and healthy controls were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: A total of 12 males and 38 females were recruited in both groups.The most commonly used medication for acute migraine treatment was paracetamol, while amitriptyline was the most frequently used prophylactic. Median serum beta-endorphin levels were significantly lower in the migraine group, at 385.4 pg/mL (328.5–423.4 pg/mL), compared to the control group, at 442.9 pg/mL (357.5–477.6 pg/mL) (p=0.01). Conclusion: Serum beta-endorphin levels were significantly lower in young adults with migraine, suggesting a potential role for reduced endogenous analgesia in migraine pathophysiology. This supports the potential utility of beta-endorphin as a prognostic biomarker for migraine.