Cognitive Functions in Migraine without Aura between Attacks: A Psychophysiological Approach Using The "Oddball" Paradigm

"Oddball" paradigm studies of auditory P300 have yielded conflicting results in migraine. We therefore undertook an additional study of auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) using an improved method of EEG processing, strict criteria for patients selection, and comparison with behavioral data. Twenty-one healthy subjects were compared to 20 patients suffering from migraine without aura between attacks. Migraine patients differed significantly from control subjects on several parameters: shorter latency of N1 (Cz) evoked by standard stimuli, longer latencies of both P3a and P3b (Pz) evoked by target stimuli, longer interval between N1 and P3b (Cz), smaller P3b (Cz) amplitude, longer reaction time (RT), higher number of errors (false alarm and/or omissions) and higher mean score on Plutchik-Van Praag's (PVP) inventory for depression. Errors were significantly correlated with RT and PVP scores. From a behavioral perspective, these results may suggest that patients suffering from migraine without aura between attacks display a higher level of arousal and more superficial attention, but require more time for automatic and/or voluntary processes. According to the inverted U-shaped relationship between performance and arousal, these patients may have difficulties in adjusting their attention level to perform a task in a optimal way.