The Cognitive Toll of Digital Overuse on Migraine in Young Adults

No SJR dataJan 16, 2026Cureus

How Excessive Digital Use May Affect Thinking in Young Adults with Migraines

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Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Prolonged screen engagement may worsen cognitive impact on migraine sufferers.

Digital overuse is linked to increased disability in young adults with migraines.
Factors like high-intensity blue light, sustained near-work posture, and potential exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are associated with migraine mechanisms.
Future research should explore how digital environments contribute to migraine vulnerability by examining lifestyle factors alongside digital-use patterns.
Short-term priorities include testing strategies for reducing blue light exposure and improving ergonomic setups.
Long-term studies are needed to understand how continuous screen exposure affects brain activity related to migraines.
Routine assessment of digital behaviors and the use of digital-hygiene interventions are recommended as part of migraine management.

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Migraine remains a major source of disability in young adults, and the rapid rise of digital overuse introduces a modern environmental burden that may worsen cognitive impact. Emerging evidence suggests that prolonged screen engagement interacts with core migraine mechanisms, such as cortical hyperexcitability, trigeminovascular activation, and circadian disruption, through factors including high-intensity blue light, sustained near-work posture, and, more controversially, radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. This editorial calls for future research that should determine how digital environments heighten migraine vulnerability by integrating lifestyle factors with objective digital-use patterns, including photic load and sleep disruption. Early priorities should include testing blue-light reduction or ergonomic strategies and developing digital biomarkers, while long-term neuroimaging studies should clarify how sustained screen exposure alters cortical and thalamocortical dynamics. Clinically, these insights call for routine assessment of digital behaviors and the adoption of targeted digital-hygiene interventions such as blue-light filters, dark mode, screen-time limits, optimized posture, brightness adjustment, and scheduled sensory breaks as essential components of migraine care in addition to the pharmacological treatment.

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