The transcript of this podcast is below. Ifyou prefer to listen to it, you can do so easily from the MigraineCast Web site.
Hello and welcome to MigraineCast the weekly podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network. This week, I want to share a Migraine news item with you. You may have seen the headlines the last couple of days. They've ranged from being somewhat scientific -- "Migraine may protect against cognitive decline" -- to accurate, but simpler, "Can Migraine Protect Memory?" -- to the off-base headlines that make me wonder if the person had read the journal article about the study -- "Migraines Good for the Brain" and "Migraines May Be Good for You!" Yikes!
Many of us have wondered what effect Migraines might be having on our brains and our memories. Certainly, during a Migraine attack, thinking straight can be difficult at best, and many of us don't remember much of what transpires during the time we have Migraines.
There have been other studies on Migraine and cognitive function. Some showed no association between Migraine and cognitive function while others showed deficiencies in attention, verbal ability, and memory. What seems to set this data apart from previous studies is that it measured long-term decline in cognitive function with the second round of testing conducted more 12 years after the first. This study was the Baltimore Epidemiological Catchment Study, a program of research initiated in response to the 1977 report of the President's Commission on Mental Health. The purpose was to collect data on the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders and on the use of and need for services by the mentally ill. Thus, Migraine disease was not the focus of this study, but Migraine was noted on the patients' medical history and the data reported by these researchers was drawn from the larger amount of data collected.
For this community-based study, 1,448 women, of whom 204 had Migraine, underwent a series of cognitive tests in 1993 and again approximately 12 years later.
So, what's the bottom line? Allow me to quote a conclusion statement from an article submitted by the researchers to Neurology, the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology,
Worded more simply, female Migraineurs over the age of 50 diagnosed with Migraine with aura showed less cognitive decline than those without Migraine disease.
The obvious question is, "Why?" Nobody knows yet. The researchers theorize that some medications taken for Migraine may have a protective effect on memory. They also say another factor to be explored is changes in diet or behavior that women with Migraine with aura may make. And yet a third comment by the authors is "Despite these theories, it seems more likely that there may be some underlying biological mechanism, such as changes in blood vessels or underlying differences in brain activity, which results in decreased cognitive decline over time." They didn't specifically mention genetics, but certainly, the possibility must be taken into account.
Hello and welcome to MigraineCast the weekly podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network. This week, I want to share a Migraine news item with you. You may have seen the headlines the last couple of days. They've ranged from being somewhat scientific -- "Migraine may protect against cognitive decline" -- to accurate, but simpler, "Can Migraine Protect Memory?" -- to the off-base headlines that make me wonder if the person had read the journal article about the study -- "Migraines Good for the Brain" and "Migraines May Be Good for You!" Yikes!Many of us have wondered what effect Migraines might be having on our brains and our memories. Certainly, during a Migraine attack, thinking straight can be difficult at best, and many of us don't remember much of what transpires during the time we have Migraines.
There have been other studies on Migraine and cognitive function. Some showed no association between Migraine and cognitive function while others showed deficiencies in attention, verbal ability, and memory. What seems to set this data apart from previous studies is that it measured long-term decline in cognitive function with the second round of testing conducted more 12 years after the first. This study was the Baltimore Epidemiological Catchment Study, a program of research initiated in response to the 1977 report of the President's Commission on Mental Health. The purpose was to collect data on the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders and on the use of and need for services by the mentally ill. Thus, Migraine disease was not the focus of this study, but Migraine was noted on the patients' medical history and the data reported by these researchers was drawn from the larger amount of data collected.
For this community-based study, 1,448 women, of whom 204 had Migraine, underwent a series of cognitive tests in 1993 and again approximately 12 years later.
So, what's the bottom line? Allow me to quote a conclusion statement from an article submitted by the researchers to Neurology, the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology,
"Migraineurs, specifically those with aura, exhibited less decline on cognitive tests over time versus nonmigraineurs. For the Mini-Mental State Examination, these effects were only apparent among those who were older than 50 years."
Worded more simply, female Migraineurs over the age of 50 diagnosed with Migraine with aura showed less cognitive decline than those without Migraine disease.
The obvious question is, "Why?" Nobody knows yet. The researchers theorize that some medications taken for Migraine may have a protective effect on memory. They also say another factor to be explored is changes in diet or behavior that women with Migraine with aura may make. And yet a third comment by the authors is "Despite these theories, it seems more likely that there may be some underlying biological mechanism, such as changes in blood vessels or underlying differences in brain activity, which results in decreased cognitive decline over time." They didn't specifically mention genetics, but certainly, the possibility must be taken into account.
Like what you're reading? Get convenient updates from MigraineCast on Facebook, iGoogle, your personal blog and more!
< Previous Post:
04/17/07 Podcast - The Most Common Head Pain
