Aura Characteristics in Migraine Disease

Posted on November 27 2024, By: Cerebral Torque

← Back to Migraine Resource Hub
Stay in the Loop on the Latest in Migraine:

What Does Migraine Aura Look Like?

Based on Research by Joppeková et al. (2025) and an Italian Multicenter Study (2024)

30%
of migraine patients experience aura
96%
of auras include visual symptoms
26
distinct visual symptom types identified
23.9
average age when aura first begins
82%
of patients are female
5-30
minutes typical duration (77% of cases)

Most Common Visual Aura Symptoms

Bright Light / Flickering Light 70-91%
Scintillating Scotoma (C-shaped spreading blind spot) 62-96%
Foggy or Blurred Vision 54-63%
Zig-zag Lines (Fortification Spectra) 35-57%
Small Bright Dots or Stars 47-50%
Hemianopsia (Half Visual Field Loss) 6-44%
Oscillopsia (Stationary Objects Moving) 2-43%
Blind Spots (Scotomas) 23-42%
Like Looking Through Heat Waves or Water 8-37%
Tunnel Vision 4-31%
Geometric Shapes or Prisms 28%
Bean-like or Crescent Forms 7-39%
Mosaic Vision 14-20%
Micropsia (Objects Look Smaller) 4-24%
Macropsia (Objects Look Larger) 3-11%
Total Blindness 9%

Typical Aura Duration

5-30 minutes
76.5%
76.5%
30-60 minutes
16.6%
16.6%
Over 60 minutes
6.9%
6.9%

Types of Aura Symptoms

Visual Aura 96.3% Most common - includes lights, zigzags, blind spots
Sensory Aura 33.0% Spreading numbness or tingling
Speech/Language Aura 25.6% Difficulty finding words or speaking clearly
Brainstem Aura 8.5% Vertigo, ringing in ears, double vision
Motor Aura 1.8% Weakness or movement problems in limbs
Multiple Types 9.2% More than one aura type in same attack

Visual Aura Breakdown

Positive Scotoma 82.4% Bright, colored, or white dots and patterns
Negative Scotoma 14.3% Areas of complete vision loss
Blurred Vision/Color Changes 13.6% Distorted vision or altered color perception
Visual Snow-like 3.7% Static-like visual disturbance

Associated Symptoms & Features

Post-Attack Fatigue 59.5% 31% lasting more than 24 hours
Nausea/Vomiting 55.9% Common during migraine phase
Light/Sound Sensitivity 55.1% Photophobia and phonophobia
More Intense Headache 48.2% Compared to migraine without aura
Aura Relapse 12.6% Within 24 hours, lasting ~85 minutes
Vertigo 12.5% During headache phase

Patient Demographics & Patterns

Also Have Migraine Without Aura 89.3%
Chronic Migraine (15+ days/month) 12.8%
Medication Overuse/Adaptation Headache 2.5%
Average Current Age 43.3 years

Clinical Insights

  • Visual auras typically develop gradually over 5+ minutes (unlike sudden stroke symptoms)
  • Most patients experience a mix of positive (bright lights, zigzags) and negative (blind spots) symptoms
  • The "fortification spectrum" - expanding C-shaped zigzag pattern - is pathognomonic for migraine
  • Symptoms often start in central vision and spread outward
  • Women are 4x more likely to experience migraine with aura than men (82% female in recent studies)
  • Visual aura can occur with or without subsequent headache
  • Nearly 90% of aura patients also experience migraine without aura
  • Aura typically begins in early twenties (average age 23.9 years)
  • About 1 in 8 patients may experience aura relapse within 24 hours
  • Post-attack fatigue affects 60% of patients, often lasting over 24 hours
  • Headaches following aura tend to be more intense than regular migraine attacks

Research Sources

Visual Symptoms Study (2025) Italian Multicenter Study (2024)

MigraineScience Blog

Join Our Community