Migraine

The definition of migraine is mainly descriptive: there is no diagnostic test and no useful biomarker. Migraine attacks are invisible but can present with an encyclopedia of neurological symptoms. Pain is commonly assumed to be the essence of migraine, yet there is no structural lesion correlated to it. It can range from no pain at all to excruciating misery. Still, even in its most disabling form, the pain is only one symptom among many others. Migraine is often accompanied by nausea and hypersensitivity to light and sound. Other symptoms may include speech deficits, mood alterations, neck stiffness, and inability to concentrate. Even this brief excerpt of possible clinical presentations points to the involvement of numerous different brain regions during an attack.