Evoked potential studies in migraine: A systematic review of neurophysiological patterns across migraine subtypes

Abstract

Background: Evoked potentials are widely used to investigate sensory and nociceptive processing abnormalities in migraine. However, electrophysiological distinctions between migraine subtypes remain insufficiently characterized in the literature. The aim was to systematically review and summarize neurophysiological abnormalities in evoked potential studies (visual, auditory, brainstem, somatosensory and laser) in migraine patients, with a particular focus on latency, amplitude, habituation and clinical correlations across subtypes and healthy controls. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for studies, terms included “Migraine Disorders,” “Migraine,” “Vestibular Diseases” and “Evoked Potentials”, which were published from 2000 to 2024 were included. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: In total, 813 studies were screened, resulting in 55 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Patients with migraine with aura demonstrated higher amplitudes and asymmetry of visual evoked potentials compared to those with migraine without aura. Habituation deficits were particularly evident across all types of evoked potentials. A few studies compared chronic and episodic migraine, reporting higher brainstem and somatosensory evoked potential amplitudes in chronic migraine. Conclusions: Migraine patients have a consistent habituation deficit on all evoked potential parameters. Migraine with aura and chronic migraine may have higher cortical excitability. Further research with larger sample sizes, standardized methodologies and an accurate comparison of migraine phases will enlighten our understanding of the migraine subtypes. Trial Registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42024502803.