Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND :
migraine is a recurring syndrome of headache, nausea, vomiting, and/or other symptoms of neurological dysfunction in varying admixtures. Migraine, is one of the most common causes of headache, afflicts approximately 15% of women and 6% of men.
OBJECTIVE:
This study was designed to determine the EEG changes in a sample of migraineurs with their relation to its types.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of neurology of Baghdad teaching hospital from December 2007 to February 2008. A total of 60 migraineurs were taken, aging (10-40) years, diagnosed according to International headache society (IHS) criteria. Patients with history of epilepsy, head injury, brain lesion and recurrent headaches not Compatible with IHS criteria were excluded from the study . EEG was performed, whenever possible, during headache and between attacks of headache.
RESULTS:
Sixty Iraqi patients with migraine were evaluated. Twenty patients (33.3%) were having migraine with aura (MWA) while 40 patients (66.7%) had migraine without aura (MWOA). Of the sixty studied patients 15 were having electroencephalographic finding. Among patients with MWA, 8 of them have abnormal EEG (40%), while in patients with MWOA, 7 of them have abnormal EEG (17.5%). Slow waves were found in 10 patients (52.64%), sharp waves in 8 (42.10%), and spikes in one patient (5.26%). It has been found that 9 patients (50%) have abnormality in occipital region, 6 of them (33.34%) in frontal region, and 3 of them (16.66%) in temporal region.
CONCLUSION:
EEG is not useful as a diagnostic tool for migraine, as the EEG changes found in migraine are not specific, they are infrequently associated, and there is no EEG difference between MWA and MWOA. So, clinical criteria are the only way for diagnosis of migraine.
KEYWORDS: migraine, headache, EEG