While some previously published studies have suggested that migraines with auras may increase the risk of stroke and seemingly harmless brain lesions, it was undetermined if migraines increased the risk of dementia or cognitive function.
An online study published by the British Medical Journal, stated that researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that migraine sufferers did not have a greater risk for cognitive decline than non-migraine sufferers.
If this study is correct, and is supported by future studies with the same findings, this is good news for those of you who suffer with chronic migraines.
The researchers studied the records of over 6000 women who reported on migraines from the records of almost 40,000 women who took part in the Women’s Health Study.
These women established baseline migraine information and were then followed up with cognitive testing over several years. The women were classified either with:
- No migraine history
- Migraine without aura
- Migraine with aura
- Past history of migraine
It turned out that women with migraines, regardless of whether or not they were preceded or accompanied by an aura, had no greater risk of cognitive decline than women who never had migraines.
Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.
