Sequential brief neuropsychological evaluation of migraineurs is identical to controls.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of attack-related cognitive dysfunction in migraine is growing. Controversy exists on whether cognitive dysfunction, mainly executive, may persist between attacks. Measuring the impact of cognitive function is gaining importance in clinical and research settings in migraine.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of interictal migraine patients to controls in an assembled neuropsychological battery focused on executive functions and to study the practice effect of its repeated applications.

METHOD: Assembly of the battery that was then applied twice within 6 weeks to interictal migraineurs and matched healthy controls.

RESULTS: Migraine patients (n = 24) and controls (n = 24) had similar performance in both applications of the battery. There was a slight practice effect between the first and second evaluation, significant in Stroop Interference test (P = 0.002, multiplicity corrected); a meaningful score change was determined for each raw test scores.

CONCLUSIONS: Interictal migraineurs and controls performance is identical in a brief cognitive battery focused on executive functions. Repeated applications produced a practice effect that was quantified.