Smooth pursuit in migraine patients

Neurotologic signs and symptoms، especially vestibular symptoms، are common in migraine patients. The goal of this study was to investigate some parts of the central vestibular system using some subtests of videonystagmographic evaluation، including spontaneous nystagmus، gaze-evoked nystagmus، and smooth pursuit between their attacks of migraine. Thirty patients with migraine and 38 healthy volunteers of 18-48 years of age were included in this study. Spontaneous nystagmus، gaze-evoked nystagmus toward the right، left and upward، and also smooth pursuit using three different velocities were performed in both groups. Five normal subjects and five migraine patients had spontaneous nystagmus، which was less than three degrees; there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No gaze-evoked nystagmus was seen in both groups. In one velocity of smooth pursuit evaluation، gain and phase were significantly different. The statistical difference in gain and phase was not clinically important as it was in normal range of the device. Another statistically significant parameter was saccadic morphology of smooth pursuit which was seen in migraine patients. These results suggest the presence of subtle otoneurological abnormalities in migraine patients that is probably due to deficiency of oculomotor function with vestibulocerebellar origin.