27 Nov Visual Snow as a Migraine Symptom

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Schankin

Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Christoph Schankin
Consultant
Head University Headache Clinic
Department of Neurology
Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
University of Bern

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Visual snow syndrome is a debilitating disorder with a continuous TV snow-like visual disturbance that persists over years. Patients have additional visual problems, such as severe afterimages, floaters or photophobia. The syndrome is associated with migraine and migraine aura, but the interaction between the two remains unclear.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? 

Response: In this study, we describe for the first time patients with pure episodic visual snow that occurs strictly linked to attacks of migraine without aura. This supports that visual snow can be a migraine symptom and underscores that both, migraine and visual snow share common mechanisms.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: From a clinical perspective, it is important to recognize episodic visual snow as a migraine symptom, and to distinguish it from migraine aura. Patients who have migraine with aura should not use estrogen-based contraception, and treatment with triptans should not be initiated during the aura phase. We currently do not have evidence to support such limitations during episodic visual snow. 

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: Since episodic visual snow is the “smallest unit” of visual snow syndrome, it would be important to understand, if episodic visual snow is a risk factor for the development of the debilitating and continuous full visual snow syndrome.

Disclosures:  Consulting, Advisory Boards, Speaker, and/or Travel Suppor for Novartis, Eli Lilly, TEVA Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, MindMed.

Citation:

Hodak J, Fischer U, Bassetti CLA, Schankin CJ. Episodic Visual Snow Associated With Migraine Attacks. JAMA Neurol. Published online November 25, 2019. doi: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.4050

Last Modified: [last-modified] 

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Last Updated on November 27, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD