Cognitive functioning in adolescents with migraine

Abstract

Although migraine is highly prevalent in children and teenagers, it often goes undetected in these patients, resulting in underdiagnosis and inadequate treatment. Several studies have investigated cognitive changes in adults with migraine. However, there are few studies focusing on children and adolescents.Objective:To investigate cognitive performance of adolescents with migraine. Methods:Twenty-eight adolescents diagnosed with migraine and twenty-six individuals without a history of headache were recruited for the study. All participants were evaluated using standardized neuropsychological tests. Results:Adolescents with migraine had worse performance on tests evaluating short- and long-term verbal memory, attention, executive function, and speed of processing information than controls. Conclusion:Cognitive dysfunction is common in adolescents with migraine. Since the cognitive deficits found in adolescents with migraine are similar to those reported in adults with migraine, cognitive impairment seems to persist throughout life.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pediatric Migraine

“…Adult migraine patients have an elevated risk of cognitive dysfunction with complaints regarding attention and memory, 16 but similar findings have also been seen in children and adolescents (age 10-18 years). 49 The connection between frontal cortex atrophy and executive function deficits is obvious and warrants further investigation. One important question to answer would be which comes first, the frontal atrophy or migraine.…”

Metacognition and Headache: Which Is the Role in Childhood and Adolescence?

“…Some findings show that the most impaired neuropsychological functions concern selective and divided attention, speed of processing information, and short- and long-term verbal memory ( 8 , 9 ). Melissa Andréia et al ( 10 ) compared 28 adolescents diagnosed with migraine and 26 subjects without a history of headache after a neuropsychological assessment. They noticed that adolescents with migraine were more affected by distractors during the learning process, had verbal memory and more learning difficulties and shown impairment in recognition and recall ( 10 ).…”

“…Melissa Andréia et al ( 10 ) compared 28 adolescents diagnosed with migraine and 26 subjects without a history of headache after a neuropsychological assessment. They noticed that adolescents with migraine were more affected by distractors during the learning process, had verbal memory and more learning difficulties and shown impairment in recognition and recall ( 10 ). These problems may have a connection with learning difficulties sometimes referred by children with migraine or recurrent headache.…”

Cognitive Impairment in Children and Adolescents With Migraine

“…The results of a recent study by Costa Silva et al ( 13 ) provided confirmatory evidence that adolescents suffering from migraine may present with verbal memory and learning impairments. Patients with migraine were more significantly influenced by distractors and reported problems with recognition and recall.…”

“…These difficulties were related to changes in the ability to organize thoughts and to use scheme to search for data. The authors also found significant differences in executive functioning such as selective and divided attention, speed of processing information and visuo-motor tracking between patients with migraine and the control group ( 13 ). These results are in line with previous findings and confirm that young patients affected by migraine may present with impaired short and long-term verbal memory, speed processing information, and selective and divided attention ( 1 , 3 , 4 , 8 ).…”