Migraine – evidence for a disturbance of cerebral maturation in man?

Developmental changes of the contingent negative variation in migraine and healthy children

“…These results correspond with our previous cross-sectional study which demonstrated a pronounced reduction in the iCNV amplitude and an increase in iCNV habituation with age in healthy subjects in late adolescence and early adulthood [17]. Indeed, healthy pre-school and primary school children are characterized by significantly larger iCNV amplitudes and more pronounced loss of the iCNV habituation than healthy adults [13, 17]. These developmental CNV features of children were interpreted in terms of the influence of cerebral maturation on processes of cortical excitability and information processing in healthy individuals [8, 13, 17, 22, 23].…”

“…These results correspond with our previous cross-sectional study which demonstrated a pronounced reduction in the iCNV amplitude and an increase in iCNV habituation with age in healthy subjects in late adolescence and early adulthood [17]. Indeed, healthy pre-school and primary school children are characterized by significantly larger iCNV amplitudes and more pronounced loss of the iCNV habituation than healthy adults [13, 17].…”

“…In the ages 15–19 years, healthy adolescents demonstrated a significant reduction of the iCNV amplitude and a substantial increase of the iCNV habituation. However, these developmental changes did not occur in migraineurs [17]. It was proposed that the described differences between migraine patients and healthy subjects in iCNV amplitude and habituation found in adults might be due to an impaired maturation of sensory information processing in migraine patients [13, 17].…”

“…However, these developmental changes did not occur in migraineurs [17]. It was proposed that the described differences between migraine patients and healthy subjects in iCNV amplitude and habituation found in adults might be due to an impaired maturation of sensory information processing in migraine patients [13, 17]. The concept of impaired sensory maturation in migraine was supported by other studies which used measurement of the intensity dependence of auditory evoked potentials [18, 19] and habituation of visual evoked potentials [20, 21].…”

Maturation of P300 amplitude and short-term learning as reflected by P300 habituation between trial blocks in children

“…Given the lack of findings with respect to P300 between-block habituation, specific hypotheses are difficult to formulate. However, based on findings of an amplitude potentiation rather than habituation in other neurophysiological measures (such as early CNV) in young children (Kropp et al, 1999), we expected to find a larger habituation in older children and adolescents compared with younger subjects.…”