Behavioral Aspects of Migraine: A Focus on the Response to Visual Phenomenon
摘要
Migraine is a complex disease, and nonheadache symptoms are more diverse and complex simulating various psychiatric disorders and epileptic phenomena. Some personality traits and behavioral abnormalities have been described, but these may be the effect of the migraine headache as well. Migraineurs have multiple endogenous and exogenous triggers. Bright flashes of light and blurred vision are the most common visual auras. Complex visual auras, including perceptual errors, have been reported. Migraine is the most common cause of Alice in Wonderland syndrome. These visual phenomena have been attributed to cortical spreading depression and sensitization of cortical neurons as a result of impaired habituation from brainstem–thalamocortical pathways. Complex visual phenomenon has been attributed to activation of parieto-temporo-occipital junctions. The pathophysiological basis of these phenomena has been evaluated using magnetoencephalography, evoked potentials, functional MRI, and PET studies. It is important to consider visual phenomenon and behavioral aspects of migraineurs during the selection of drugs for migraine prophylaxis.