Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep;45(9):4445-4449.
doi: 10.1007/s10072-024-07520-w. Epub 2024 Apr 12.

Cognitive assessment during the phases of a spontaneous migraine: a prospective cohort study

Jason C Ray  1   2   3 , David Darby  4   5 , Helmut Butzkueven  4   5 , Manjit S Matharu  6 , Elspeth J Hutton  4   5
Affiliations

Cognitive assessment during the phases of a spontaneous migraine: a prospective cohort study

Jason C Ray et al. Neurol Sci. 2024 Sep.

Abstract

Introduction: Cognitive symptoms are reported commonly throughout all phases of a migraine; however, there is a paucity of objective cognitive profiling. Previous studies have been limited by practice effect, and variable populations.

Methods: Participants completed 1 month of daily testing with a computerised cognitive battery involving a simple reaction (SRT), choice reaction (CRT) and a working memory test (WM). Results were correlated with their diary to identify interictal scores, and scores during each phase of a migraine, and non-migraine headache days.

Results: A total of 16 patients with episodic migraine participated. During the headache phase of a migraine, responses to SRT, CRT and WM tasks were significantly slower and less accurate than interictally. During the postdrome, WM task performance was slower and less accurate. Non-migraine headache days were not associated with significant change.

Conclusion: The headache and postdromal phase of a migraine day was associated with objective evidence of cognitive dysfunction in patients with episodic migraine.

Keywords: Cognition; Cognitive impairment; Headache disorders; Migraine.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Ray has received funding for educational activity from Abbvie, Novartis and Viatris. He has served on medical advisory boards for Pfizer, Viatris, and Lilly. Professor Butzkueven’s institution (Monash University) received compensation for consulting, talks, and advisory/steering board activities from Alfred Health, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche and UCB; research support from Biogen, Merck, MS Research Australia, National Health and Medical Research (Australia), Medical Research Future Funds (Australia) Novartis, the Oxford Health Policy Forum, and Roche. He has received personal compensation for steering group activities from Oxford Health Policy Forum. Prof. Matharu serves on the advisory board for Allergan, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Autonomic Technologies Inc and TEVA and has received payment for the development of educational presentations from Allergan, electroCore, Eli Lilly, Novartis and TEVA. Dr. Hutton has served on advisory boards for Sanofi-Genzyme, Novartis, Teva, Eli Lilly, Allergan, Lundbeck, been involved in clinical trials sponsored by Novartis, Teva, Xalud, Cerecin, and has received payment for educational presentations from Allergan, Teva, Eli Lilly and Novartis.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Box and whisker plot of reaction speed to working memory (WM) test in different migraine states expressed in log10 milliseconds, *p = 0.030 **p = 0.028
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Gil-Gouveia R, Oliveira AG, Martins IP (2016) The impact of cognitive symptoms on migraine attack-related disability. Cephalalgia [Internet] 36(5):422–30. Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0333102415604471. Accessed 26 Jun 2023 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gil-Gouveia R, Martins IP (2018) Clinical description of attack-related cognitive symptoms in migraine: a systematic review. Cephalalgia [Internet] 38(7):1335–50. Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0333102417728250. Accessed 26 Jun 2023 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gil-Gouveia R, Oliveira AG, Martins IP (2016) Subjective cognitive symptoms during a migraine attack: a prospective study of a clinic-based sample. Pain Phys 19(1):E137–E15010.36076/ppj/2016.19.E137 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alenius M, Koskinen S, Hallikainen I et al (2019) Cognitive performance among cognitively healthy adults aged 30–100 years. Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra [Internet] 9(1):11–23. Available from: https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/495657. Accessed 26 Jun 2023 - PMC - PubMed
    1. McCaffrey RJ, Ortega A, Orsillo SM et al (1992) Practice effects in repeated neuropsychological assessments. Clin Neuropsychol [Internet] 6(1):32–42. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13854049208404115. Accessed 26 Jun 2023 - DOI