Comparison of Optic Nerve, Macula, and Choroidal Parameters in Newly Diagnosed Migraine Patients and Healthy Controls

Retinal vascular occlusion, ischemic optic neuropathy, and normotensive glaucoma have been found to be associated with migraine in several studies. By examining the optic nerve, macula, and choroid of newly diagnosed migraine (NDM) patients, this study aims to investigate possible early changes in these structures, thus guiding both the diagnosis and treatment of migraine.

Forty-one (82 eyes) NDM patients and 41 (82 eyes) healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Participants were divided into two groups, the NDM group and the HC group, and optic nerve, macula, and choroid structures were prospectively examined and compared with both intra-group and inter-group comparison methods.

In the inter-group comparison performed by using Generalized Estimating Equations analysis, all Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness (RNFL) parameters were statistically significantly lower in the NDM group compared to the HC group (p < 0.05). Regarding the ganglion cell complex (GCC) and choroidal parameters, statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in all parameters except for choroidal thickness (CT). In the NDM intra-group comparison, temporal RNFL, temporal-upper RNFL, and temporal-lower RNFL values of the right eye (RE) were significantly lower than the left eye (LE); nasal RNFL, nasal upper RNFL, and nasal lower RNFL values of the LE were significantly lower than the RE (p < 0.05).

Statistically significant values in RNFL, GCC, and choroid in the NDM group indicate the possible early changes in optic nerve, macula, and choroid in NDM patients. In intra-NDM group comparison, lower values of the temporal RNFL sectors in the RE and nasal RNFL sectors in the LE may suggest the involvement of the lateral geniculate nucleus in migraine.