Michele Viana (Lugano/ CH), Anders Hougaard (Copenhagen/ DK), Ingun Grøntveit Winnberg (Trondheim/ NO), Anna Ambrosini (Pozzilli/ IT), Claudio Gobbi (Lugano/ CH), Armando Perrotta (Pozzilli/ IT), Thien Pho Do (Copenhagen/ DK), Erling Tronvik (Trondheim/ NO), Chiara Zecca (Lugano/ CH)
Abstract text (incl. figure legends and references)
Question: is it feasible to create standardized images representing visual disturbances (VD) of migraine aura (MA)?
Objectives: To test the representativeness of a standardized MA iconography (SMAI) constituted of 25 elementary visual disturbances (EVDs) in a large population of patients suffering from visual MA.
Methods: We prepared descriptions (EVD-texts) and graphical representations on a common background image (EVD-images) of 25 EVDs, that were used to create a web-based survey (WBS). Patients>18years-old, suffering from visual MA and seen consecutively at one of 4 European Headache Centres (Lugano, Switzerland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Trondheim, Norway; Rome, Italy], were invited to participate. They fulfilled the WBS (via computer or mobile devices) where they were asked to choose which among EVDs they had experienced during their MAs and/or to provide a text description of any other EVDs experienced but not included in the WBS. Primary endpoint was the proportion of EVDs experienced by participants which were recognized in the set of 25 EVD-images. The study was approved by competent Ethics committees.
Results: 257 patients with visual MA completed the study: 209 were female (81.3), mean age was 36.7. Patients experienced overall 1741 different VD. Of those, 73% could be recognized as variable combinations of the 25 EVDs in the SMAI. Description of EVSs experienced by pts in their lives are reported in the table.
Conclusion: The majority of VD experienced by patients during their MA were recognized as composed of one or more EVDs in our SMAI. When validated, this this tool will allow a precise VA phenotyping with useful clinical and research applications.