Sporadic hemiplegic migraine
Last updated 1 Mar 2023
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Sporadic hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of migraine headache. Migraines typically cause intense, throbbing pain in one area of the head. Some people with migraines also experience nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. These recurrent headaches typically begin in childhood or adolescence and can be triggered by certain foods, emotional stress, and minor head trauma. Each headache may last from a few hours to a few days.
Description
Sporadic hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of migraine headache. Migraines typically cause intense, throbbing pain in one area of the head. Some people with migraines also experience nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. These recurrent headaches typically begin in childhood or adolescence and can be triggered by certain foods, emotional stress, and minor head trauma. Each headache may last from a few hours to a few days.
In sporadic hemiplegic migraine and some other types of migraine, a pattern of neurological symptoms called an aura occurs before onset of the headache. An aura commonly includes temporary visual changes such as blind spots (scotomas), flashing lights, zig-zagging lines, and double vision. In people with sporadic hemiplegic migraine, auras are also characterised by temporary numbness or weakness, often affecting one side of the body (hemiparesis). Additional features of an aura can include difficulty with speech, confusion, and drowsiness. An aura typically develops gradually over a few minutes and lasts about an hour.
Some people with sporadic hemiplegic migraine experience unusually severe migraine episodes. These episodes can include fever, prolonged weakness, seizures, and coma. Although most people with sporadic hemiplegic migraine recover completely between episodes, neurological symptoms such as memory loss and problems with attention can last for weeks or months. Some affected individuals develop mild but permanent difficulty coordinating movements (ataxia), which may worsen with time, and rapid, involuntary eye movements called nystagmus. Mild to severe intellectual disability has been reported in some people with sporadic hemiplegic migraine.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Autosomal dominant; Not inherited. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
Non-familial hemiplegic migraine
SHM
Related patient information and medicines
Patient information leaflet
Migraine
Hemiplegic migraine This is a rare type of migraine with aura. So, hemiplegic migraines cause weakness of one side of the body. Hemiplegic migraine can be inherited (familial hemiplegic migraine), which runs in families, or occur for the first time in people with no family history (sporadic hemiplegic migraine). Vestibular migraine This is a type.
Patient information leaflet
Headache
A headache is a pain or throbbing in the head or face. Almost everyone will experience headaches at some time. The most common types of headache are tension headaches and migraines. People understandably worry if their headache symptoms ... Primary stabbing headaches are too short to treat although migraine prevention medications may reduce their.
Patient information leaflet
Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches occur as attacks of severe, one-sided headaches. Typically, a number of attacks occur over several weeks - a bout (cluste... An injection with a migraine medicine called sumatriptan, or a nasal spray containing a medicine called zolmitriptan, or breathing 100% oxygen, will usually relieve each headache. Symptoms of cluster.
Patient information leaflet
Visual problems
Most people are concerned when they develop problems affecting their eyes, particularly if this affects their ability to see clearly. This leaflet describes most eye conditions which can affect vision, either temporarily or permanently. Migraine Migraine can cause a temporary loss or alteration of vision which is referred to as an 'aura'. Visual.
Patient information leaflet
Eye floaters, flashes and haloes
Eye floaters and flashes are common and are usually nothing to worry about. They usually occur because of normal changes that happen in the jelly-like substance inside the e... Migraines Eye flashes can also relate to migraines. Some people with migraine experience flashing lights. Usually, in migraine, these occur in both eyes simultaneously..
Patient information leaflet
Chronic tension headache
However, it is possible that a proportion of these people actually have developed medication-overuse headaches (medication-induced headaches) as a result of. Therefore, it can be difficult to be certain which is their main problem. What causes chronic tension headache. Then, keep the diary going as you take the preventative medicine to see how.
Further reading and references
- Sporadic hemiplegic migraine; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- de Vries B, Freilinger T, Vanmolkot KR, Koenderink JB, Stam AH, Terwindt GM, Babini E, van den Boogerd EH, van den Heuvel JJ, Frants RR, Haan J, Pusch M, van den Maagdenberg AM, Ferrari MD, Dichgans M. Systematic analysis of three FHM genes in 39 sporadic patients with hemiplegic migraine. Neurology. 2007 Dec 4;69(23):2170-6. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000295670.01629.5a.
- Eikermann-Haerter K, Negro A, Ayata C. Spreading depression and the clinical correlates of migraine. Rev Neurosci. 2013;24(4):353-63. doi: 10.1515/revneuro-2013-0005.
- Gallanti A, Cardin V, Tonelli A, Bussone G, Bresolin N, Mariani C, Bassi MT. The genetic features of 24 patients affected by familial and sporadic hemiplegic migraine. Neurol Sci. 2011 May;32 Suppl 1:S141-2. doi: 10.1007/s10072-011-0517-4.
- Ramagopalan SV, Ramscar NE, Cader MZ. Molecular mechanisms of migraine? J Neurol. 2007 Dec;254(12):1629-35. doi: 10.1007/s00415-007-0641-5. Epub 2007 Nov 7.
- Riant F, Ducros A, Ploton C, Barbance C, Depienne C, Tournier-Lasserve E. De novo mutations in ATP1A2 and CACNA1A are frequent in early-onset sporadic hemiplegic migraine. Neurology. 2010 Sep 14;75(11):967-72. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181f25e8f.
- Thomsen LL, Oestergaard E, Bjornsson A, Stefansson H, Fasquel AC, Gulcher J, Stefansson K, Olesen J. Screen for CACNA1A and ATP1A2 mutations in sporadic hemiplegic migraine patients. Cephalalgia. 2008 Sep;28(9):914-21. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01599.x. Epub 2008 May 30.
- van den Maagdenberg AM, Haan J, Terwindt GM, Ferrari MD. Migraine: gene mutations and functional consequences. Curr Opin Neurol. 2007 Jun;20(3):299-305. doi: 10.1097/WCO.0b013e3281338d1f.
- Weigand KM, Swarts HG, Russel FG, Koenderink JB. Biochemical characterization of sporadic/familial hemiplegic migraine mutations. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2014 Jul;1838(7):1693-700. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2014.03.022. Epub 2014 Apr 3.
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