Assessment of Cognitive Functions and Event Related Potentials in Female Patients with Migraine without Aura: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Migraine is associated with cognitive symptoms during its all phases. Both migraine and cognitive impairment are more common in females.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess cognitive functions in females with migraine without aura using cognitive tests and event related potential (ERP) (P 300).

Materials and methods: Forty-one female patients diagnosed with migraine without aura according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition, and 40 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and education were included, and all participants performed the Arabic version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE-III), the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and underwent ERP-P300 using the auditory oddball paradigm.

Results: Patients showed better total score of ACE-III and visuospatial score than healthy control group (P = 0.027, P < 0.0001, respectively), no significant difference between both groups regarding attention, memory, language, and processing speed (P > 0.05). A negative correlation between P 300 latency and SDMT and a positive correlation between SDMT, attention and amplitude not reaching statistical significance were found (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: Migraine patients showed a better performance in some cognitive functions compared to heathy control. P 300 could be used as a tool for detecting early and subtle cognitive impairment.