Is Your Brain “Slower” During A Migraine Attack?

It’s well known that many migraine patients claim to have trouble thinking during a migraine attack.  But is it just a perception, or is it a measurable reality?

Researchers in Portugal and Brazil wanted to see some better research to answer the question.  So, they recruited 39 people with episodic migraine, mostly women, and did some careful study to see if their thinking was impacted by an untreated migraine attack.  (That doesn’t mean that the same wouldn’t happen if the attack was “treated”, it just gets rid of a few more variables and makes the study more reliable.  In fact, some medications can make the problem worse.)

The results?  Yes, we do have trouble thinking during migraine attacks, and the change is significant enough to measure.

In a brief discussion in the study abstract, the authors concluded:

Cognitive performance decreases during migraine attacks, especially in reading and processing speed, verbal memory and learning, supporting patients’ subjective complaints.  These findings suggest the existence of a reversible brain dysfunction during attacks of migraine without aura, which can relate specifically to migraine or be a consequence of acute pain processing by the brain.

So, we were right.  Trouble reading, processing, remembering . . . it’s all very common during a migraine attack.

We know that even some severe forms of temporary memory loss are connected to migraine attacks.  The symptoms can be quite serious, and sometimes will show up in very noticeable ways, such as difficulty recognizing faces, or slurred speech.

The question remains whether or not there is permanent brain damage from migraine.  Although there does seem to be some cumulative damage from migraine, study after study seems to confirm that permanent cognitive problems are rare.  In fact, one study even suggested that migraine brains stay sharper than other brains in the long run!

Still, it’s helpful to be aware that these cognitive difficulties during an attack are very common.  Make note of them, and do mention them to your doctor at your next visit.

Study abstract from the journal Cephalalgia:  Cognitive dysfunction during migraine attacks: A study on migraine without aura.

Also see Trouble remembering words during migraine?