Migraine and multiple sclerosis.

Abstract

Migraine is a common condition thought to result from vasomotor changes usually in the distri- bution of the carotid and vertebro-basilar arteries. According to Kunkle and Wolff (1951) the disorder has been estimated to occur in approximately 8 % of patients examined in general practice, but the true incidence is unknown. In the British Medical Journal (1963) it is stated that if 'classical' cases only areconsidered, about 5 to 10 % of thepopulationhave migraine. In most reports the incidence is higher among females than males. In view of the clinical impression gained by one of us (M.E.) that there is a high incidence of migraine in patients with multiple sclerosis (M.S.), the study reported here was undertaken to try and ascertain whether or not this was so.