Objective: Recording of event-related potentials by using oddball paradigm of auditory P300 has yielded conflicting results in migraine. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that migraine patients have reduced P300 amplitude and prolonged P300 latency, suggesting alterations of the cognitive-evaluative component.
Methods: We recruited 29 migraine patients (24 females; median age 40 years) and 29 healthy age- and gender-matched participants. Participants were subjected to the same testing procedures of auditory P300 by discrimination the target auditory stimulus from the frequent stimulus, and analyzing P300 target/frequent stimulus amplitudes, and P300 target/frequent stimulus latencies.
Results: Patients with migraine don't have prolonged P300 target stimulus latency, but have a longer P300 frequent stimulus latency for 17.5ms. Out of 29 participants with migraine 8 had pathological P300 target stimulus amplitude, and 19 had pathological P300 frequent stimulus amplitude.
Conclusion: People with migraine have altered the P300 which indicates the presence of cognitive dysfunction in these patients and importance of early diagnosis and intervention to preventing any deterioration in cognitive functions.
Keywords: P300; cognition; event-related potentials; migraine disorders.