Persistent cognitive dysfunction in patients with migraine: a case series

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroimaging
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Migraine is frequently associated with cognitive symptoms like impaired concentration and memory deficits.
• These symptoms often occur during headache phases but can persist between attacks.
• Cortical spreading depression in migraine may underlie neurological and cognitive issues, potentially visualized via ASL-MRI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize persistent cognitive symptoms in migraine patients.
• To evaluate cerebral perfusion using ASL-MRI in these patients.
• To assess the efficacy of migraine-preventive therapy on cognitive function.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 12 migraine patients with persistent cognitive symptoms (>1 month) were studied.
• Arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging (ASL-MRI) was performed during symptomatic periods.
• Patients received standard migraine-preventive treatments.

Main Results:

• All patients exhibited regional cerebral hypoperfusion on ASL-MRI.
• Cognitive symptoms persisted beyond migraine attacks, lasting months to years.
• Migraine-preventive therapy resulted in improved cognitive symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Migraine-related cognitive dysfunction can be persistent and long-lasting.
• Regional cerebral hypoperfusion detected by ASL-MRI may indicate these persistent symptoms.
• Migraine should be considered in diagnosing unexplained cognitive impairment, especially with a migraine history.