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Visuospatial learning is fostered in migraine: evidence by a neuropsychological study

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Abstract

Background

Cognitive profile in migraine patients still remains undefined. Contradictory evidence has been provided, with impairments in different cognitive domains, normal cognition, or even better performance compared to healthy controls (HC). The latter is of particular interest considering the evidence of glutamatergic upregulation in migraine, particularly in the visual cortex, and the role of the glutamatergic system in synaptic plasticity and learning. The aim of our study is to compare cognitive performance for visuospatial memory and learning (supraspan modality) between migraineurs without aura (MwoA) and HC.

Methods

Twenty-one subjects suffering from MwoA and 21 HC were enrolled. Migraineurs during the interictal phase and HC underwent visuospatial memory test (Corsi test) and verbal memory test (Buschke Selective Reminding Test) in supraspan modality, Trial Making Test A (TMTA) and B (TMTB) as test exploring attention, and TMTB-TMTA as test of executive functioning. Depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory Short Form (BDI-SF). Migraine characteristics (i.e., disease duration and frequency expressed as attacks per month) were collected.

Results

Subjects with MwoA showed better performance than HC in test exploring both short (p = 0.002) and long-term (p = 0.001) visuospatial memory. No significant difference between groups was found in verbal memory, attention, executive functioning, and depression (BDI-SF). No significant association emerged between cognitive performance and migraine characteristics.

Discussion

Subjects with MwoA had significant better performance in visuospatial memory and learning than HC. Occipito-parietal hyperexcitability (in particular in the visual cortex), which is a hallmark of the migraine brain, would probably explain these results. These data need to be confirmed in larger samples of migraineurs.

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Author notes

  1. Roberta Baschi and R. Monastero contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Roberta Baschi, R. Monastero, V. Costa, G. Giglia, B. Fierro & F. Brighina

  2. Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    G. Cosentino

  3. Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Mondino Foundation IRCCS, Pavia, Italy

    G. Cosentino

Authors
  1. Roberta Baschi
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  2. R. Monastero
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  3. G. Cosentino
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  4. V. Costa
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  5. G. Giglia
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  6. B. Fierro
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  7. F. Brighina
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Contributions

Roberta Baschi was involved in the study data collection, performed neuropsychological testing, run statistical analysis, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Roberto Monastero supervised statistical analysis and participated in manuscript writing and critical revision. Filippo Brighina designed the study and participated in manuscript writing and critical revision. Giuseppe Cosentino and Giuseppe Giglia participated in the study planning and were involved in the critical revision of the manuscript. Vanessa Costa and Brigida Fierro were involved in the critical revision of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roberta Baschi.

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Palermo and informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Baschi, R., Monastero, R., Cosentino, G. et al. Visuospatial learning is fostered in migraine: evidence by a neuropsychological study. Neurol Sci 40, 2343–2348 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-03973-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-03973-6

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