February 22 Highlights

Abstract

Gaist et al. established headache diagnoses in a large population-based sample of middle-aged Danish twins. Cognitive scores of the 536 identified migraineurs were comparable to those of non-migraineurs. A lifetime diagnosis of migraine was not associated with cognitive deficits. see page 600 The editorial by Elkind and Scher notes that many investigators have concluded that MRI signal abnormalities represent sequelae of ischemia in migraineurs. This negative study should be reassuring to clinicians and patients. However, the limited sample of cognitive tests may not best reflect deficits expected in migraine. Neuropsychological tests of visual perceptual processing should be included in subsequent studies. Moreover, if negative effect of migraine on cognitive function was more evident at older ages, this study would not have detected such a difference. see page 590 Dichgans et al. found regionally distinct metabolic abnormalities in the cerebellum of patients with familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) type 1 caused by mutations in the CACNA1A gene. …