Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness is unaffected in migraine patients

Abstract

Objectives: To search for possible structural effects of migraine on the retina.

Materials and methods: The study group included 39 consecutive migraine patients, 15 with visual aura and 24 without aura, and 25 healthy subjects as the control group. Scanning laser polarimetry was used to measure and compare retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness between migraine and control groups.

Results: The mean age of the patients and the control group were 35.64 +/- 8.3 and 35.96 +/- 9.14 years, respectively (P = 0.92) and the mean duration of migraine in patients with aura and without aura as 4.4 +/- 2.9 and 5.3 +/- 4.3 years, respectively (P = 0.68). Parameters related to RNFL thickness were found to be similar (P > 0.001) in migraine and control subjects. After examining the whole patient group migraine patients with and without aura were compared to each other and the control group individually for RNFL thickness parameters. Briefly no statistical difference was found for any of the test parameters between migraine patients with aura, without aura and controls (P > 0.001).

Conclusion: Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was found to be unaffected in migraine patients.