title: Trigeminal somatosensorial evoked potentials suggest increased excitability during interictal period in patients with long disease duration in migraine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Migraine pathogenesis is suggested to involve many structures in cerebral cortex, brainstem and trigeminovascular system. Electrophysiological studies revealed loss of habituation, decreased cortical preactivation, segmental hypersensitivity and reduction in control of inhibitory descending pathways. Given these information, we aimed to evaluate the excitability changes of the trigeminal pathway in the cortex and brainstem in migraine using trigeminal nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (TSEP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one women with migraine without aura and 32 age-matched healthy women were included. TSEPs were recorded in migraine patients during interictal period and in healthy subjects. Sensory thresholds, stimulation intensities, latencies of N1, P1, N2 and P2 waves as well as N1/P1 and N2/P1 amplitudes were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparisons of ipsilateral latencies with N1-P1 and N2-P1 amplitudes between migraine and control groups showed no difference. Sensory thresholds were also similar. Stimulation thresholds decreased as the attack frequency increased and ipsilateral N1/P1 amplitude increased with prolonged disease duration (p=0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study did not show significant difference between migraine patients and healthy subjects during interictal period. However, migraine with long duration affects the excitability of the cortical and brainstem trigeminal pathways even during interictal periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yesim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abanoz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abanoz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysegül
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Turkey. Electronic address: draysegulgunduz@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Feray Karaali
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Savrun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Migraine; Trigeminal nerve sensory evoked potentials; Trigeminal pathway