Does the migraine aura reflect cortical organization?
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Updated: Aug 2, 2026

3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
M A Dahlem1, R Engelmann, S Löwel
1Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Institut für Experimentelle Physik, Abteilung Biophysik, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39016 Magdeburg, Germany. dahlem@physik.uni-magdeburg.de
Abstract:
Individuals suffering from classical migraine report an astonishing diversity of migraine auras. A frequently reported symptom is a visual hallucination known as fortification illusion (FI). Here we demonstrate that the typical zig-zag pattern of the FI can be reproduced using experimental data of orientation maps of the primary visual cortex (V1) assuming that a continuous excitation front propagates across V1. We put forward a model in which the cortical neurons within this excitation wave are activated sufficiently to contribute to conscious perception. It is shown that the discontinuous repetitive nature of the zig-zag pattern of the FI can reflect the specific layout of visual cortical orientation maps. Additionally, dynamic features of the FI are predicted based on our model.
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