Migraine Types, Mechanisms, and Management Flashcards

A collection of vocabulary flashcards defining key terms, symptoms, mechanisms, and variants related to migraines and emergency headache management based on lecture notes.

Migraine

A genetically influenced brain condition marked by paroxysmal attacks of moderate to severe throbbing pain.

Photophobia

Pain experienced with light.

Phonophobia

Pain experienced with hearing sound.

Aura

Focal neurological symptoms, often visual, that accompany migraine headaches in up to a third of patients.

Spreading cortical depression

A wave of neuronal depolarization followed by depressed activity spreading slowly anteriorly across the cerebral cortex from the occipital region.

Unilateral patioschotoma

A retinal depression resulting in prodromal visual symptoms.

Fortification spectra

Jagged lines through the vision experienced during the prodromal visual stage of a migraine.

Classical migraine

Also known as migraine with aura; occurs in about thirty percent of migraine sufferers and features heralding prodromal symptoms.

Common migraine

Also known as migraine without aura; characterized by vague prodromal visual symptoms and a recurrent headache accompanied by nausea and malaise without a clear heralding phase.

Hemicranial

Literally meaning splitting the head, referring to headache pain that affects one side of the head before becoming generalized.

Diuresis

An increased production of urine that sometimes occurs as a migraine settles after several hours.

Basilar migraine

A migraine variant with prodromal symptoms including circumoral and tongue tingling, vertigo, double vision, transient visual disturbance, blindness, syncope, dysarthria, and ataxia.

Hemipiretic migraine

A rare form of migraine resembling a stroke, with recovery occurring within twenty four hours.

Facial plegic migraine

A migraine variant characterized by unifacial weakness during the migraine episode.

Thunderclap headache

A sudden onset severe headache, particularly occipital, that serves as an indicator of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Keftriaxone

A broad spectrum antibiotic given in cases of suspected meningococcal septicemia during headache triage and management.