Tracking the Migraine Cycle Using Visual Tasks

Abstract

There are a number of reports that perceptual, electrophysiological and imaging measures can track migraine periodicity. As the electrophysiological and imaging research requires specialist equipment, it has few practical applications. This study sought to track changes in performance on four visual tasks over the migraine cycle. Coherence thresholds were measured for two motion and two orientation tasks. The first part of the study confirmed that the data obtained from an online study produced comparable results to those obtained under controlled laboratory conditions. Thirteen migraine with aura, 12 without aura, and 12 healthy controls participated. The second part of the study showed that thresholds for discriminating vertical coherent motion varied with the migraine cycle for a majority of the participants who tested themselves multiple times (four with aura, seven without). Performance improved two days prior to a migraine attack and remained improved for two days afterwards. This outcome is as expected from an extrapolation of earlier electrophysiological research. This research points to the possibility of developing sensitive visual tests that patients can use at home to predict an impending migraine attack and so take steps to try to abort it or, if it is inevitable, to plan their lives around it.

Premonitory symptoms in migraine from China: A multi-clinic study of 4821 patients

“…During the prodromal phase of migraine, brain function begins to change and various non-pain symptoms manifest (11,19,20). As a result of several studies in recent decades, the prevalence and phenotypes of these symptoms have become well recognized (5,6,9,10,17,18,21–26).…”

Visual Perception in Migraine: A Narrative Review

“…This is still debate because there may be distinct changes at different stages of the visual system. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to consider VA as dysfunctions in visual processing [ 110 ]. Clinicians are encouraged to proactively search, correctly identify, classify and interpret migraine-related visual problems, which may help expand the present knowledge on the disease and optimize migraine care.…”

No Evidence of Reduced Contrast Sensitivity in Migraine-with-Aura for Large, Narrowband, Centrally Presented Noise-Masked Stimuli

“…Visual processing differences in migraine with aura are not necessarily shared by those without aura, for example [ 18 ]. Where differences are observed, they may be influenced by the length of time for which an individual has experienced migraine [ 70 ], and vary across the migraine cycle [ 77 , 78 ]. Together, these considerations suggest that measures of contrast sensitivity, at a single point in time, may not provide the most diagnostic assessment of sensory processing in migraine, and may account for the heterogeneous results that have been reported from such measures.…”