Aura Characteristics in Migraine Disease

Posted on November 27 2024, By: Cerebral Torque

Aura Characteristics in Migraine Disease
Source: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03331024241299453

"Exploring the multifaceted characteristics of aura in migraine: A multicenter, cross-sectional study"

Demographics and Basic Information
Total Patients 272 From multiple Italian headache centers
Female Patients 82.0% (223) Showing typical gender distribution in migraine studies
Mean Age 43.3 ± 14.5 years Current age of study participants
Mean Age of Aura Onset 23.9 ± 11.2 years Age when patients first experienced aura symptoms
Concurrent Headache Diagnoses
Migraine without Aura 89.3% (243) Patients experiencing both types of migraine
Chronic Migraine 12.8% (35) 15+ headache days per month
Medication Overuse/Adaptation Headache 2.5% (7) Secondary to frequent medication use
Aura Characteristics
Types of Aura
Visual Aura 96.3% (262) Most common type, includes various visual phenomena
Sensory Aura 33.0% (90) Typically manifests as spreading paresthesia
Speech/Language Aura 25.6% (70) Includes both anomia and dysarthria
Brainstem Aura 8.5% (23) Includes vertigo, tinnitus, diplopia
Motor Aura 1.8% (5) Least common, affects limb movement
Multiple Aura Types 9.2% (25) Patients experiencing more than one type per attack
Visual Aura Detailed Characteristics
Positive Scotoma 82.4% (224) Colored, bright, or white dots/patterns
Negative Scotoma 14.3% (39) Areas of vision loss
Visual Snow-like 3.7% (10) Static-like visual disturbance
Blurred Vision/Dyschromia 13.6% (37) Vision distortion or color perception changes
Duration of Aura Symptoms
5-30 minutes 76.5% (189) Most common duration
30-60 minutes 16.6% (41) Intermediate duration
More than 60 minutes 6.9% (17) Extended duration
Treatment Approaches
Triptans 39.7% (108) 26.9% at aura onset, 20.8% at headache onset
NSAIDs 47.8% (130) 25.3% at aura onset, 41.5% at headache onset
Nutraceuticals 59.9% (163) Including magnesium, nisin, magnesium with tanacetum-hydroxytriptofan, coenzyme Q
Associated Symptoms and Features
Photophobia/Phonophobia 55.1% (150) Light and sound sensitivity
Nausea/Vomiting 55.9% (52) Common accompanying symptoms
More Intense Headache After Aura 48.2% (95) Compared to migraine attacks without aura
Aura Relapse within 24h 12.6% (34) Mean duration of relapse: 85.2 ± 84.4 minutes
Vertigo 12.5% (35) During headache phase
Post-Attack Asthenia 59.5% (116)

Physical weakness or lack of energy

31.3% lasting >24 hours

Study published in Cephalalgia, 2024, Vol. 44(11)