open access
Cognitive performance in young and middle-aged adults with migraine: Investigating the correlation with white matter hyperintensities and psychological symptoms
- Clinic of Neurology, Bezmialem Vakıf University, İstanbul, Türkiye
- Clinic of Neurology, Istanbul Education and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Türkiye
- Clinic of Neurology, Reyap Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Istanbul Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
open access
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the cognitive performance of migraine patients with (MwA) and without aura (MwoA) and investigate the correlation of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and psychological symptoms with their cognitive test scores.
Material and methodsHundred migraine patients aged 20–55 years and 80 healthy volunteers with similar age, sex, and education level were enrolled. The total Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were compared by age, sex, presence of aura, migraine duration, attack frequency, pain localization, presence and number of WMHs, and the scores of the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).
ResultsForty-seven (47%) patients had MwA and 53 (53%) had MwoA. The performance of the MwA patients was significantly poorer than that of the MwoA patients and the healthy subjects on the MoCA scales. In particular, the results revealed lower scores in the subscales regarding visuospatial/executive functions, naming, memory, attention, and abstraction in MwA patients than in the MwoA patients. Compared to healthy controls, more number of migraine patients had WMHs. The presence and number of WMHs had no significant correlation with the MoCA scores of the migraine patients. There was a significant correlation of the BAI and BDI scores with the total MoCA scores considering all migraine patients.
ConclusionsThis study suggested that MwA may be associated with low cognitive performance which was correlated with depression and anxiety but not with WMHs. Further, longitudinal studies for assessing the relationship between WMHs, cognitive functions, and migraine, and for establishing the causality are warranted.
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the cognitive performance of migraine patients with (MwA) and without aura (MwoA) and investigate the correlation of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and psychological symptoms with their cognitive test scores.
Material and methodsHundred migraine patients aged 20–55 years and 80 healthy volunteers with similar age, sex, and education level were enrolled. The total Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were compared by age, sex, presence of aura, migraine duration, attack frequency, pain localization, presence and number of WMHs, and the scores of the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).
ResultsForty-seven (47%) patients had MwA and 53 (53%) had MwoA. The performance of the MwA patients was significantly poorer than that of the MwoA patients and the healthy subjects on the MoCA scales. In particular, the results revealed lower scores in the subscales regarding visuospatial/executive functions, naming, memory, attention, and abstraction in MwA patients than in the MwoA patients. Compared to healthy controls, more number of migraine patients had WMHs. The presence and number of WMHs had no significant correlation with the MoCA scores of the migraine patients. There was a significant correlation of the BAI and BDI scores with the total MoCA scores considering all migraine patients.
ConclusionsThis study suggested that MwA may be associated with low cognitive performance which was correlated with depression and anxiety but not with WMHs. Further, longitudinal studies for assessing the relationship between WMHs, cognitive functions, and migraine, and for establishing the causality are warranted.
Keywords
Migraine, Cognitive performance, Depression, Anxiety
Title
Cognitive performance in young and middle-aged adults with migraine: Investigating the correlation with white matter hyperintensities and psychological symptoms
Journal
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska
Issue
Pages
470-476
Published online
2018-05-08
Page views
476
Article views/downloads
836
DOI
10.1016/j.pjnns.2018.05.001
Bibliographic record
Neurol Neurochir Pol 2018;52(4):470-476.
Keywords
Migraine
Cognitive performance
Depression
Anxiety
Authors
Abdulkadir Tunç
Aysel Kaya Tekeşin
Belma Doğan Güngen
Esra Arda