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The vestibulo-collic reflex is abnormal in migraine.
M Allena1, D Magis, V De Pasqua
1Headache Research Unit, Department of Neurology, CHR Citadelle, University of Liège, Boulevard du 12ème de Ligne 1, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|September 6, 2007
Summary
Migraine patients exhibit abnormal processing of repeated stimuli, unlike healthy individuals who show habituation. This study reveals a deficit in the click-evoked vestibulo-collic reflex (VCR) habituation in migraineurs.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Otolaryngology
- Vestibular System
Background:
- Migraine is associated with interictal evoked central nervous system response deficits, including impaired habituation.
- The click-evoked vestibulo-collic reflex (VCR) assesses otolith function and involves a pathway from saccular macula receptors to neck motoneurons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate habituation of the VCR in migraine patients between attacks.
- To compare VCR responses in migraineurs and healthy subjects.
Main Methods:
- Recorded VCRs using 3-Hz clicks (95 dB NHL) over the sternocleidomastoid muscle in 25 migraineurs and 20 healthy controls.
- Analyzed VCR amplitudes and habituation patterns over three blocks of 75 averaged responses.
Main Results:
- Migraine patients showed significantly smaller VCR amplitudes compared to healthy subjects.
- Healthy subjects exhibited VCR habituation (-4.96% +/- 14.3%) during stimulus repetition.
- Migraineurs displayed VCR potentiation (4.34% +/- 15.3%, P = 0.04) instead of habituation.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest abnormal processing of repeated stimuli within the VCR circuit in migraineurs.
- Reduced VCR amplitude and lack of habituation do not support vestibular hyperexcitability as the primary explanation for this deficit.
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