Patent foramen ovale and migraine

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): An Intervention Sequence
10:52

Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): An Intervention Sequence

Published on: December 23, 2022

Hans-Christoph Diener1, Tobias Kurth, David Dodick

  • 1Department of Neurology, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. hans.diener@uni-duisburg-essen.de

Current Pain and Headache Reports
|May 17, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Migraine is associated with patent foramen ovale (PFO), but evidence for a causal link is lacking. PFO closure is not recommended for migraine prevention due to insufficient evidence from clinical trials.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Observational studies suggest a link between migraine and patent foramen ovale (PFO).
  • Potential biological mechanisms, including shared genetics, have been proposed.
  • Current evidence is insufficient to establish a causal relationship between PFO and migraine.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between PFO and migraine.
  • To assess the efficacy of PFO closure for migraine prophylaxis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of observational studies.
  • Analysis of a large randomized controlled trial on PFO closure for migraine.

Main Results:

  • Observational studies indicate an association.
  • A large randomized trial did not support the benefit of PFO closure for migraine frequency.
  • Uncontrolled studies suggested potential benefits, but lacked robust evidence.

Conclusions:

  • A causal link between PFO and migraine remains unproven.
  • PFO closure is not currently recommended for migraine prophylaxis.
  • Further evidence from ongoing controlled trials is needed.

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