Acute confusional migraine attacks resolved by sleep: lack of significant abnormalities in post-ictal polysomnograms

We observed acute confusional migraine (ACM) attacks in two adolescents, and in both cases the episodes ended when the patients fell asleep spontaneously. Laboratory and neuroradiologic examinations were unremarkable. The post-ictal polysomnograms displayed a regular quality and duration of the physiologic components of sleep. Random posterior slow waves occurred only during the nocturnal awakenings and REM periods. The observation that sleep may resolve migraine attacks is emphasized. ACM is characterized by peculiar and relatively quickly reversible clinical manifestations and EEG abnormalities. The lack of significant abnormalities in post-ictal polysomnograms corresponds to a functional integrity of the brainstem structures involved in the global organization of sleep and may represent a useful laboratory feature in the diagnosis of ACM.