CEREBROVASCULAR REACTIVITY IN MIGRAINE WITH AND WITHOUT AURA

Abnormal cerebrovascular regulation has been implicated in the pathoge nesis of migraine. Our aim in this study was to evaluate cerebrovascul ar reactivity to different stimulations in migraine with and without a ura. Using bilateral transcranial Doppler, the changes of flow velocit y during hypercapnia and mental and motor activity were measured in th e middle cerebral arteries of 15 controls and 30 patients with migrain e with aura (n=15) or without aura (n=15) in an attack-free period. Va scular response to all tests was similar in controls and patients. In patients with unilateral headache, no side-to-side difference was foun d. These findings suggest that no alteration of cerebrovascular reacti vity exists outside attacks in migraine with and without aura. Further studies with transcranial Doppler considering all intracranial vessel s and the comparison with other techniques of flow investigation with better regional resolution are needed to confirm these data.