There are many individuals who are suffering the brain complications such as migraine, and the problem is increasing very rapidly, and so the health index of many regions is becoming low. According to new research, individuals who suffer from migraines appear to have a hyperexcitable visual cortex. They face problems while concentrating as their mind keeps deviating from one point to another. Migraines are characterized as debilitating and persistent headaches and are often accompanied by an increased sensitivity to visual or other sensory stimuli. The exact cause of these headaches is not revealed yet, and so researchers believe they may be related to temporary changes in chemicals, nerves, or blood vessels present in the brain.
In a new study published in the journal Neuroimage Clinical, researchers tried to test a theory that at least part of the answer resides in the visual cortex, the part of our brains responsible for seeing. The study author stated, “Most people with migraines also report abnormal visual sensations in their daily life, such as elemental hallucinations, visual disturbances, and sensitivity to additional light. We believe this is due to a link between migraine experiences and abnormalities in the visual cortex. Our results provide the first evidence for this theory by discovering a specific brain response pattern in migraine sufferers.”
The study was carried out by researchers from the Center for Human Brain Health and the Department of Psychology at the University of Birmingham and the Department of Psychology, Lancaster University. The team started an experiment with a group of 60 volunteers, half of whom were migraine sufferers with regular migraines. They were presented with a striped grid pattern and asked to rate the pattern as to whether it was uncomfortable or from looking or some related visual phenomenon. In an additional test, participants underwent an electroencephalogram (EEG) test, which allowed researchers to track and record patterns of brain waves when visual stimuli were presented. In both tests, the researchers found a stronger response in the visual cortex in the group of migraineurs when the participants were presented with the grids.
