FAMILIAL HEMIPLEGIC MIGRAINE - A CLINICAL COMPARISON OF FAMILIES LINKED AND UNLINKED TO CHROMOSOME-19

We compared the clinical characteristics of 46 patients from three unr elated families with familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) linked to chro mosome 19, with those of 20 patients from two families with FHM not li nked to chromosome 19. We found no significant differences for age at onset, frequency and duration of attacks, duration of the paresis, and occurrence of basilar migraine symptoms. In the Linked families, sign ificantly more patients reported unconsciousness during attacks (39% v s 15%; p<0.05) and provocation of attacks by mild head trauma (70% vs 40%; p<0.05). In one linked family patients also displayed chronic pro gressive cerebellar ataxia, whereas in one unlinked family benign infa ntile convulsions occurred in addition to FHM. interestingly, so far a n association with cerebellar ataxia was only described in chromosome 19-linked families. FHM linked to chromosome 19 and FHM unlinked to ch romosome 19 do not differ with respect to clinical features.