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This study found a significant association between migraine and partial seizures with complex symptomatology in children. The findings suggest these conditions may co-occur more often than by chance alone.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epileptology
- Clinical Neuroscience
Background:
- Migraine is a common neurological disorder in children.
- Seizures are also prevalent in pediatric populations.
- The relationship between migraine and specific seizure types requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential association between migraine and partial seizures with complex symptomatology in a pediatric cohort.
- To analyze the clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) features in children with both conditions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 240 children diagnosed with migraine at a pediatric neurology service.
- Subgroup analysis of children with co-occurring seizures, focusing on seizure type and EEG findings.
- Statistical evaluation using critical ratio and two-sided test to assess the probability of co-occurrence by chance.
Main Results:
- Out of 240 children with migraine, 54 had seizures; 19 (35%) of these had partial seizures with complex symptomatology.
- Common migraine was diagnosed in 14 of the 19 children with complex seizures.
- Interictal EEG abnormalities were present in 14 children, predominantly in temporal regions.
Conclusions:
- A statistically significant association exists between migraine and partial seizures with complex symptomatology in children.
- The findings suggest a potential underlying pathophysiological link between these two neurological conditions.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this observed association.
Abstract:
A diagnosis of migraine was made in 240 children referred to the Pediatric Neurology Service of the Children's Hospital of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in a 6-year period from January 1975 to December 1980. Fifty-four of these children had seizures, and in this subgroup 19 (35%) had partial seizures with complex symptomatology. Fourteen of the 19 children had common migraine. Fourteen children had abnormalities in interictal EEGs; EEG findings included focal slow waves, sharp waves, and sharp-and-slow waves. The temporal regions were the sites of abnormality in 13 children. Calculation of the critical ratio and use of the two-sided test approach showed that the probability of seeing 19 children with migraine and complex seizures in our population on the basis of chance was extremely low (p = 0.0096). Our study suggests the presence of an association between migraine and partial seizures with complex symptomatology.