Cognitive impairment in migraine: A systematic review

Patients with migraine often report cognitive complaints, especially regarding attention and memory. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of the studies available on cognitive evaluation in patients with migraine. METHODS: We evaluated all articles containing the key words: "Migraine", "Cognition" and "Cognitive Impairment." RESULTS: The search strategy resulted in 23 articles. Fifteen out of the 23 studies (65.3%) retrieved reported abnormalities on neuropsychological tests in migraine patients, notably tests of memory, attention and information processing speed. Most of the studies showing cognitive changes in migraine were carried out in neurological care facilities. Conversely, among community-based studies, migraine patients were less likely to present cognitive changes. CONCLUSION: Patients with migraine, especially those followed at neurology clinics, show an elevated risk of mild changes in several cognitive domains. Further studies with greater methodological refinement are warranted in order to clearly establish whether this cognitive dysfunction is associated with an underlying migraine pathophysiological process.