TY - JOUR A1 - Owolabi, L A1 - Sale, S T1 - Electroencephalographic abnormalities in migraine patients Y1 - 2011/1/1 JF - Sahel Medical Journal JO - Sahel Med J SP - 26 EP - 29 VL - 14 IS - 1 UR - https://www.smjonline.org/article.asp?issn=1118-8561;year=2011;volume=14;issue=1;spage=26;epage=29;aulast=Owolabi N2 - Introduction: There is a marked discrepancy in the reported frequencies of the electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities in migraine. Aim: To evaluate EEG abnormalities in migraine patients and compare their EEG findings with those of normal age-matched control group. Methodology: EEGs of 40 symptom-free unmeditated migraineurs that satisfied the International Headache Society criteria for migraine with aura and migraine without aura were recruited from neurology clinic of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano and Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano for the study. EEG was also carried out on age-matched control group using the same, standardized, protocol. Analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Fisher exact test was employed for comparison of categorical variables. P-value was set at 0.05. Results: Overall, 17.5% of the migraineurs as opposed to10% of the controls had abnormalities including epileptiform spikes, sharp waves, sharp and slow wave complexes as well as slow wave activity, the odd ratio (OR) = 1.99; 95% Cl=0.31-14.9. More migraine patients had focal, generalized and paroxysmal discharges than the control, however, the difference was not significant.. Comparing subjects with migraine preceded by aura and migraine not preceded by aura, 20% of the former as opposed to 15% of the later had EEG abnormalities, the difference not being statistically significant. Conclusion: In conclusion, focal, generalized and paroxysmal EEG abnormalities were found in migraine patients. However, frequencies of inter-ictal EEG abnormalities, which is higher in migraine patients when compared to age-matched control, did not differ significantly. ER -