Abstract
Objective: An imbalance between activity of inhibitory and facilitatory intracortical circuits could play a central role in migraine etiology. We used input-output curves to achieve further information about intracortical excitability of motor cortex in migraine with aura.METHODS:Input-output curves were measured in the right abductor pollicis brevis muscle at rest in 12 patients suffering from migraine with aura and 8 healthy subjects. Stimuli were delivered at intensity ranging from 100% to 160% of resting motor threshold with 10-second inter-stimulus intervals. Seven patients were studied before and during treatment with levetiracetam.RESULTS:Results showed a greater motor-evoked potential amplitude in response to increasing intensity of stimuli in patients compared to controls (P < .02). This increased facilitatory effect was abolished by levetiracetam (P < .005).CONCLUSIONS:Our findings support the hypothesis of an interictal cortical hyper-responsivity in migraine patients that appears to be normalized by levetiracetam. This effect could support the potential therapeutic role of levetiracetam in migraine with aura prevention.
Lingua originale | English |
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Numero di pagine | 8 |
Rivista | Headache |
Volume | 51 |
Stato di pubblicazione | Published - 2011 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- ???subjectarea.asjc.2800.2808???
- ???subjectarea.asjc.2700.2728???