Disease duration of episodic migraine correlates with modified amplitudes and habituation of contingent negative variation

Abstract

Cortical habituation in episodic migraine patients without medication overuse headache (MOH), recorded by contingent negative variation (CNV), is often reduced compared with healthy controls. There is evidence that with longer duration of migraine disease (DOD) amplitudes and habituation of CNV become progressively abnormal. The aim of the study was to examine habituation characteristics of contingent negative variation in episodic migraine patients suffering from short- and long-lasting migraine compared to matched healthy controls. 32 migraine patients without aura and without MOH diagnosed according to the revised ICHD-II criteria and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. According to DOD, the total sample of migraine patients was divided into two groups (group a: DOD <121 months, n = 17 subjects, group b: DOD >120 months, n = 15 subjects). Both migraine groups did not differ in the number of days of migraine and the duration of attacks. Overall CNV and initial CNV differed significantly between migraine patients and controls, whereas the former produced more negative amplitudes. In the migraine group lack of or deficient habituation occurred, whilst controls showed habituation. There were middle range correlations between the DOD and overall CNV, initial CNV, and y-intercept. Patients suffering from long-lasting migraine produced higher CNV amplitudes with a higher y-intercept. The results are interpreted as "maladaptive plasticity" with a risen intercept in long-lasting migraine.

Central Nervous System Underpinnings of Sensory Hypersensitivity in Migraine: Insights from Neuroimaging and Electrophysiological Studies

“…A recent study reported a similar habituation pattern for the N1 orienting and N2b components to deviant tones in patients and matched controls . Habituation deficits have also been reported for the contingent negative variation CNV; in particular the initial (or early) CNV, which reflects the orienting properties of a warning stimulus in an active paradigm, was found increased in migraine . P300 (P3a and/or P3b) responses elicited by various paradigms also showed a deficit of habituation but not systematically .…”

“…74,75 Habituation deficits have also been reported for the contingent negative variation CNV; in particular the initial (or early) CNV, which reflects the orienting properties of a warning stimulus in an active paradigm, was found increased in migraine. [76][77][78][79] P300 (P3a and/or P3b) responses elicited by various paradigms also showed a deficit of habituation 73,80-82 but not systematically. 74 Mismatch negativity (MMN) habituation has been reported as deficient in a first study, 104 but not in a more recent one.…”

“…Enhanced 65,[68][69][70][71] or normal 64 IDAP in migraineurs Deficit 68,69 or normal 64 in long-term habituation through IDAP paradigms Deficit of short-term habituation in migraineurs 72,73 Normal habituation for N1 orienting and N2b component 74,75 Habituation deficit of CNV in migraineurs [76][77][78][79] Deficit 73,80-82 or normal 74 habituation of P300 component in migraineurs Before a migraine attack Normalization of the lack of habituation of CNV 77 Somatosensory and painful stimuli Between migraine attacks Habituation deficit of N20 component [83][84][85] Habituation deficit of the N2-P2 amplitude in response to trigeminal and extra-trigeminal stimulation 86,87 without aura and controls, suggesting an alteration of neuronal inhibition within the visual system of patients with migraine with aura. 88 Auditory Evoked Potentials (AEPs).-Most studies showed normal short-latency (brainstem evoked potential) 64,89,90 and cortical auditory evoked potentials N100 and P200 in migraineurs during the headache-free period.…”

“…Migraine patients also show increased CNV, which has been the first cognitive ERP investigated in migraineurs. 77,79,109 The CNV amplitude increase observed in migraineurs concerns mostly the early component (iCNV) and is associated with a decrease, or even a lack, of habituation over successive trials (see above). These CNV abnormalities suggest an increased orienting process and have been considered as a possible vulnerability marker for migraine.…”

“…Moreover, adult patients with a long disease history (>120 months) have higher CNV amplitudes than patients with a short history (<120 months) of migraine. 79 A few longitudinal studies investigated changes of CNV in children with migraine and age-matched control. 111,112 Over an 8-year period CNV amplitude tended to decrease and habituation of iCNV to increase in both groups, but this effect of brain maturation was less in migraineurs with persisting headaches than in healthy subjects and migraineurs in remission.…”