A transcranial doppler study in interictal migraine and tension-type headache.
OBJECTIVE
To use transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography to determine if patients with migraine without aura have interictal hemodynamic abnormalities compared with patients who have episodic tension-type headache (TH).


METHODS
Thirty-six migraine patients without aura and 51 TH patients (age range, 16-50 years) who were diagnosed according to the criteria of the International Headache Society 1988 participated in the study. Forty-four healthy volunteers, matched for age and sex, formed the control group. Time-averaged mean velocity (TAMV), pulsatility index (PI), and breath-holding index (BHI) were measured via TCD sonography in the middle cerebral artery.


RESULTS
TAMV was higher in migraine without aura than in episodic TH (p = 0.034). There were no differences between groups regarding PI or BHI.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the arteriolar vasodilatation theory in migraine without aura.
Arjona
Antonio
A
Neurology Section, Torrecardenas Hospital, Paraje Torrecardernas s/n, Almeria E-04009, Spain.
de Torres
Luis A Perula
LA
Serrano-Castro
Pedro J
PJ
Guardado-Santervas
Pedro L
PL
Olivares
Jesus
J
Rubí-Callejon
Jose
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020326:Migraine without Aura / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods*