Evaluation of Ocular Higher-Order Aberrations in Patients with Migraine: A Comparative Study

To assess and compare higher-order aberrations (HOAs) in migraine patients versus healthy controls, and to explore potential correlations between aberrometric parameters and migraine characteristics.

A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 99 migraine patients (32 episodic and 67 chronic) and 99 age- and sex-matched controls. Comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations and wavefront aberrometry (using Huvitz HRK-8000A Autorefractor/Keratometer based on a Hartmann-Shack principle) were performed on all participants. HOAs, including spherical aberration, coma, trefoil, and quadrafoil, were quantified. Statistical analyses examined differences between groups and correlations with clinical migraine data.

Migraine patients exhibited higher total HOAs, but the result was not statistically significant compared to controls. Coma and oblique trefoil aberrations were notably elevated in the migraine patients. Oblique trefoil was significantly higher in cases than in controls. However, no correlation was found between HOA magnitude and migraine disease duration. Statistically significant correlation was found when comparing episodic versus chronic migraine cases.

Increased higher-order aberrations, especially oblique trefoil, are linked to chronic migraine, indicating that even with normal acuity, small optical variables may cause visual disruptions. Although more long-term research is required to establish causality, these results point to a combination of ocular and neurological mechanisms.

Migraine patients demonstrate increased higher-order ocular aberrations, which may contribute to their visual symptoms. Aberrometry may serve as a valuable tool in identifying visual triggers and customizing optical interventions for migraine management.