Migraine sufferers in study show less decline
By JOHN FAUBER
Posted: April 23, 2007
Is it possible that suffering through years of migraine headaches actually might have a beneficial effect on the brain?
A provocative new study has raised that improbable prospect after finding that longtime, middle-aged migraine sufferers showed less cognitive decline and memory loss over a period of 12 years than a group of migraine-free adults.
Researchers can't explain what could be a silver lining in the agonizing cloud that is migraine, but it's possible that the physiological changes that accompany the headaches might protect brain cells over the long haul.
Beyond offering a modicum of solace to the 30 million migraine sufferers in the United States, the strange finding, if verified, could offer researchers new leads into ways to preserve memory in aging brains.
"This is really a surprise," said Bhupendra Khatri, director of the Center for Neurological Disorders at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center. "This is going to stimulate a lot of research."
If anything, migraine sufferers might be expected to have more cognitive decline, said Khatri, who was not a part of the study.
He noted that they tend to suffer from more depression, anxiety, seizures and stroke than people who do not have migraines.
However, there has been a lack of research looking at the long-term effect of migraine on memory and cognitive function, he said.
The research, published today in the journal Neurology, is the first prospective study looking at the lifetime effects of migraines on memory and cognitive function.
The study involved 1,448 people, including 204 who had migraines, who were given several cognitive tests and followed for an average of 12 years.
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