The Effect of Hyperventilation on Blood Flow of Middle Cerebral Artery in Migraine Without Aura and Control Group

Doppler sonography is widely applied for evaluating velocity of intracranial artery and different stimuli reactivity of cerebral artery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hyperventilation on middle cerebral artery of patients with migraine without aura and control group using transcranial Doppler sonography. In this study, 30 patients aged averagely 35 years suffering from migraine without aura were compared with 30 normal age- and sex-matched subjects. Reactivity indices of right and left middle cerebral artery were evaluated before and after hyperventilation. Both groups did not use any drug during the past 48 hours before the trial and did not have any other systemic disease. Heart rate, pulsatile index, resistance index, mean velocity, end diastolic velocity, systolic velocity were evaluated on 30 patients (19 females and 11 males) and 30 controls. Pulsatile index was more in right middle cerebral artery of migraine subjects without aura when compared with control group. Other reactivity indices were more or less similar in both groups. In patients with aura-free migraine pulsatile index in right middle cerebral artery was more than control group, hence, further studies to evaluate probable effect of hyperventilation in intracranial artery in these patients are strongly recommended.