Exploring the multifaceted characteristics of aura in migraine: A multicenter, cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Migraine with aura (MwA) is a debilitating disorder characterized by paroxysmal attacks of pain preceded or accompanied by reversible neurological symptoms. While the pathophysiology remains unclear, trigeminovascular system activation and cortical spreading depression have been implicated. This study aims to comprehensively investigate and characterize the diverse clinical features and manifestations of aura, as well as the types of acute medications self-administered for aura management.

Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Italian Headache Registry (RICe). Aura characteristics, frequency, duration and associated migraine premonitory symptoms were collected. Acute medication use and timing (headache or aura phase) were assessed.

Results: The study included 272 patients with a diagnosis of MwA. Most patients (99.3%) experienced typical aura symptoms, with visual aura (96.3%) being the most prevalent, followed by sensory (33.0%) and speech and/or language aura (25.6%). Brainstem aura (8.5%) and motor aura (1.8%) were less common. Notably, 13.0% of patients reported aura relapses within 24 hours. Triptans (39.7%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (47.8%) and nutraceuticals (59.9%) were commonly used for acute aura management.

Conclusions: This study reports several different aura manifestations, highlighting atypical features, aura relapse rates and treatment approaches for aura. These findings could contribute to a deeper understanding of aura and its management in clinical settings.

Keywords: brainstem aura; cortical spreading depression; headache; visual aura.