Ocular Motor Measures in Migraine with and Without Aura

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine basic ocular motor function in individuals with migraine. We used an infrared eye-tracking system to measure horizontal smooth pursuit to a sinusoidal target, saccades to horizontal target displacements of 5-20 degrees , and the stability of fixation in 19 migraine without aura (MoA), 19 migraine with aura (MA) and 19 headache-free control (C) subjects. Eye movement measurements were made at two target displacement rates and against both homogeneous grey and patterned backgrounds. We found no statistically significant differences between migraine and control subjects in any of the eye movement parameters measured, but did find highly significant effects of both target speed and background pattern in all groups. Our results do not provide support for subclinical cerebellar impairment in migraineurs, and do provide evidence that previously described visual abnormalities in migraine are not artefacts of abnormal fixation or eye movements.

Interhemispheric differences of fMRI responses to visual stimuli in patients with side‐fixed migraine aura

“…MA patients find these patterns more unpleasant than MO patients and controls [Chronicle et al, 1995]. Dysfunction of saccadic eye movements in migraine has been reported [Cambron et al, 2011;Chandna et al, 2012], although not consistently [Wilkinson et al, 2006]. It is possible that these abnormalities of visual function in migraine patients are correlated to the hyper-responsiveness of the cortical visual areas found in the present study and, thus, that the altered function of this network may explain visual dysfunction in MA.…”

Asymmetry of visual function in migraine with aura: Correlation with lateralisation of headache and aura

“…The occurrence of asymmetry of illusions between the two hemifields suggests that the underlying mechanism of illusions lies behind the optic chiasm, presumably at a cortical level, rather than being related, for example, to eye movements (26).…”

“…The finding of a greater susceptibility to illusions in migraineurs agrees with that of Wilkins et al (7) who first drew attention to this observation in individuals with nonspecific headache as well as in migraineurs. The occurrence of asymmetry of illusions between the two hemifields suggests that the underlying mechanism of illusions lies behind the optic chiasm, presumably at a cortical level, rather than being related, for example, to eye movements (26).…”

Saccade behaviour in migraine patients

“…They found no significant differences in horizontal saccades in migraine without or with aura compared to headachefree control subjects (13). They used simple tasks where the subjects only had to make reflexive saccades.…”