B - 91 Cognition as a Premonitory Symptom of Migraine.

Abstract

Migraine is often accompanied by premonitory symptoms (neurologic symptoms preceding migraine pain) which serve as "warning signs." Cognition changes are commonly described during the premonitory period (period preceding pain onset). Ecological momentary assessment can be utilized to understand if perceived cognitive changes are a symptom patients use as an indicator of the premonitory period. Participants with episodic migraine were recruited through a large urban health system and online advertising (n = 43). Individuals participated in a three-month, three-times-a-day electronic diary answering questions regarding migraine attack symptoms, including perception of being in a premonitory period, and the presence of premonitory symptoms, including "difficulty thinking or concentrating." The frequency of perceived cognitive difficulties was analyzed during the perceived premonitory period (endorsing "I think I might get a headache") vs. the perceived interictal period (endorsing "I do not anticipate a headache"). Cross tabs evaluated the frequencies of perceived cognitive difficulties during different migraine phases. Participants were predominantly White (n = 33, 76.7%), non-Hispanic (n = 33, 76.7%) women (n = 36, 83.7%). Thirty-three participants endorsed subjective cognitive difficulties at least once during the premonitory phase (n = 33; 76.75%). Difficulty thinking and concentrating was endorsed 35.16% of the time when participates also reported anticipating a headache in the morning and only 8.36% of the time when participants reported not anticipating a headache. Participants perceived cognitive decline as a premonitory symptom. Difficulty concentrating and thinking was endorsed more when participants anticipated getting a headache vs. when not. Assessing subjective cognitive decline as a premonitory symptom can guide individualized interventions for migraine and elucidate the relationship between cognition and migraine.