Alterations in retinal blood flow might elucidate visual symptoms in certain patients with migraine. These findings potentially offer a sought-after observable indicator for migraines, aiding doctors in clinical treatment.
While patients with migraines often experience symptoms such as pain around the eye, sensitivity to light, blind spots and visual blurring, the mechanisms behind those symptoms have not been well understood.
The imaging was performed on 37 migraine patients with aura symptoms, 30 migraine patients without aura symptoms and 20 healthy patients for a control group.
Insights into Migraine with and without Aura Symptoms
Researchers found that blood flow decreases in the retina during migraine attacks for both migraine patients with and without aura symptoms. However, patients with aura symptoms were found to have lower blood flow in certain areas of the retina compared to patients without aura symptoms.
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Additionally, asymmetrical blood flow in the retinas was also correlated with which side of the head that migraine patients experienced pain.
The findings could indicate why some patients experience visual symptoms and may represent a biomarker for migraine attacks.
Source-Eurekalert
