title: Chirp stimulation: H-response short and dynamic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Migraine patients have an increased photic-driving response. This 'H-response' (HR) has potential diagnostic value but it is time consuming.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to establish a fast and standardized test for the study of migraine biology and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 11 migraine patients and 11 matched control participants. We used stroboscope flashes with a 'chirp'-like linear frequency-increase from 10 to 40 Hz. EEG was recorded from occipital electrodes. Power spectral density was calculated for the stimulus response and corrected for baseline. An HR-estimator was calculated as the average power between 18 and 26 Hz in the stimulation-frequency window.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference for single (p < 0.05) and for 10 averaged recordings (p < 0.01) between migraineurs and controls, and a high inter-test reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chirp-like stimulation to study the H-response is reliable and efficient and might therefore have a potential for acute interventional studies in migraine research.
authors.affiliation: Headache and Pain Unit, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland RehaClinic Bad Zurzach, Switzerland a.gantenbein@rehaclinic.ch.
authors.forename: Andreas R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gantenbein
authors.affiliation: RehaClinic Bad Zurzach, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sandor
authors.affiliation: Headache Group, NIHR-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, King's College London, UK.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Goadsby
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Headache Centre, MünchnerFreiheit, Germany.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaube
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012016:Reference Values; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D049489:Stroboscopy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EEG; Photic driving; evoked potentials; habituation; migraine; photic stimulation