Diagnostic Value of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential (BAEP) in Migraine

摘要

Migraine is a common problem which affects almost 10% of general population. No exact and applicable test ever introduced and the diagnosis of migraine is mainly on the basis of history and physical examination. There is an ongoing debate about the study of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential (BAEP) as a diagnostic method of migraine. This study aimed at evaluating this method in migraineurs with and without aura. In a case-control setting, 43 migraineurs and 60 healthy people studied. The diagnosis of migraine was according to the criteria of International Headache Society (IHS). Latency and inter-peak latency of the waves were considered as the mainstays of the test. An instrument employed for stimulation (frequency of 14 stimulus/s; up to 2000 stimuli totally). Forty three patients (10 men, 33 women) with the mean age of 34.37?9.97 years as the case group in addition to 60 healthy people (18 men, 42 women) with the mean age of 32.91?11.17 years as the control group was enrolled in the study. Twenty patients (5 men, 15 women) suffered from migraine with aura and the remaining (5 men, 18 women) were affected with migraine without aura. BAEP was abnormal in 24 (55.8%) patients, mainly for the waves III, III-V and I-III on the right side and the wave I-III on the left. Diagnostic of migraine is generally and basically by history. BEAP can be helpful in some patients; however, its changes are not specific.