FAMILIAL HEMIPLEGIC MIGRAINE VERSUS MIGRAINE WITH PROLONGED AURA - ANUNCERTAIN DIAGNOSIS IN A FAMILY REPORT

Four of five members of a family complained of repeated attacks of hem iplegic migraine, migraine with aura of different types, or migraine w ithout aura. The hemiplegia always outlasted the headache and was ofte n accompanied by altered consciousness, aphasia, and, in one patient, coma; in this latter patient, the ictal EEG, recorded during two attac ks, showed delta activity in the hemisphere contralateral to the hemip legia. At least 2 months after their latest attacks, three patients sh owed dyscalculia, attentional disturbances, and impaired long-term ver bal memory on neuropsychologic assessment. There were no cognitive dis turbances in the unaffected relative. The severity of cognitive impair ment appears to be correlated with migraine history. We attempt to cla ssify these cases according to the criteria of the International Heada che Society.