Assessment of visual evoked potentials in migraineurs: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

@#Background & Objective: Many studies demonstrated that migraine patients have an interictal habituation and deficit of visual evoked potentials. Controversially, other studies could not reproduce similar finding. Hence, there is a dilemma regarding what should be the ultimate conclusions. The purpose of this study was to compare amplitude and habituation of pattern reversal visual evoked potentials in migraine with aura patients and healthy volunteers. Methods: A total of 40 migraine with aura patients and 40 controls were prospectively enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Using the pattern reversal stimuli, visual evoked potential were estimated in all the participants and abnormalities were noted. Results: In migraine with aura patients, there was a statistically significant increase in the amplitude of the P100 wave due to deficient habituation after 15 min stimulation. In normal subjects, there was a decrease in the amplitude of the P100 wave due to the effect of habituation. The deficient habituation can be because of decreased serotonin levels resulting in reduced pre-activation of the cortex. Conclusion: Migraine with aura patients show evidence of abnormal cortical processing with interictal hyperactivity seen in heightened responsiveness and lack of habituation to visual evoked responses.