Abstract
Objective
Neurophysiological studies to evaluate spatial attention in children with primary
headache are lacking. Tactile spatial attention modulates the N140 somatosensory evoked
potential (SEP) amplitude.
The aims of the study are: (1) to investigate the effect of spatial attention on the
N140 amplitude in children with migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) and in healthy
children, and (2) to correlate the neurophysiological results with a neuropsychological
test for spatial attention.
Methods
We studied 16 patients with migraine without aura (MoA), 12 TTH children and 10 healthy
subjects. “Deux Barrage” test for spatial attention was administered. SEPs were recorded
in a neutral condition (NC) and in a spatial attention condition (SAC).
Results
No significant differences in neuropsychological measures were found between MoA,
TTH and healthy subjects. The N140 amplitude increase during SAC, as compared to NC,
was significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls. Migraineurs showed
a positive correlation between the N140 amplitude increase during SAC and their neuropsychological
performance.
Conclusions
Although spatial attention performances in children with headache are as good as in
controls, the N140 amplitude increase during SAC in headache patients suggests that
the psychophysiological mechanisms subtending spatial attention are different from
those in healthy children.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 18, 2011
Accepted:
October 20,
2011
Received in revised form:
October 19,
2011
Received:
July 14,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
