Fingertip photoplethysmography and migraine

Whether migraine is accompanied by generalized disturbance of arteries throughout the body remains unclear. The second derivative of the fingertip photoplethysmography waveform (SDPTG) is now considered a useful tool for evaluating peripheral circulation. SDPTGs were obtained for 101 migraine patients during headache-free periods and for the same number of headache-free normal controls. ANOVAs showed significant effects of migraine on SDPTG waveform parameters as well as aging effects. Absolute values of these parameters were significantly higher in the migraine patients than in the normal controls in most age subgroups. These results indicate that migraine is complicated by peripheral circulation disorder of vasoconstrictive nature that exists even during headache-free periods.