A recent study conducted by UCLA Health has shed light on the mysterious visual disturbances experienced by certain migraine patients. The research focused on variations in blood flow in the retina, potentially providing doctors with a visible marker to aid in the medical treatment of migraines.
Migraine patients commonly report symptoms like eye pain, sensitivity to light, blind spots, and visual blurring. Despite these prevalent issues, the mechanisms behind these symptoms have remained poorly understood. The UCLA Health researchers employed a non-invasive imaging technique called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to examine changes in retinal blood vessels during and between migraine attacks.
The study involved 37 migraine patients with aura symptoms, 30 without aura symptoms, and 20 healthy individuals as a control group. The researchers discovered that blood flow in the retina decreases during migraine attacks for both groups of patients. However, patients with aura symptoms exhibited lower blood flow in specific retinal areas compared to those without aura symptoms.
Furthermore, the study revealed an interesting correlation between asymmetrical blood flow in the retinas and the side of the head where migraine patients experienced pain. This insight could provide valuable information about why some patients encounter visual symptoms during migraines and may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting and understanding migraine attacks.
In essence, these findings offer hope for a better understanding of migraines and the development of targeted medical treatments. The use of OCTA in visualizing retinal blood flow provides a non-invasive approach that could revolutionize the diagnosis and management of migraines, ultimately improving the quality of life for those who suffer from this debilitating condition.
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