Hemiplegic migraine is a type of migraine that usually leads to hemiparesis or a medical condition known to weaken half of the body. This autosomal dominant disorder is accompanied by various other symptoms such as ataxia or the inability to coordinate muscle movements, epileptic seizures and coma.

Symptoms

The symptoms that characterize hemiplegic migraine are quite similar to that of migraine with an aura.

Ataxia and convulsions are the most prominent symptoms of hemiplegic migraine.

Related symptoms include unconsciousness, head trauma and coma.

Symptoms like blurred vision and numbness are experienced for 30- 60 minutes.

Causes for hemiplegic migraine:

The main cause ofhemiplegic migraine is mutation that is known to make the body susceptible to cortical-spreading- depression migraines. Another suggested cause leading to the development of this disorder is the insufficiency of haplo in the body. It is believed that lack of haplo causes depolarization of astrocytes, the star-shaped glial cells in the brain and spinal cord making them release various compounds such as adenosine. These compounds interact with the neurons in the vicinity, thereby causing excitability that leads to migraine.

Diagnosis criteria:

Repeated occurrence of aura and motor weakness accompanied with reversible visual, sensory or speech symptoms: The reversible visual symptoms include flickering of lights, spots, lines etc. and sensory symptoms include numbness etc.

Development of one or more aura symptoms for more than 5 minutes: Headaches that start within 60 minutes of the onset of aura might last from 4- 72 hours and are only felt on one side of the head. The intensity of these headaches ranges from moderate to severe and can be aggravated by physical activities such as walking.

The first step for the diagnosis of hemiplegic migraine is to look at the medical history of the patient along with his/her family history. Certain tests such as EEG, MRI and CAT scans are used for ruling out epilepsy as well as cerebellar degeneration. If a discovery of the genes causing hemiplegic migraine is made, then genetic sequence can be very useful in verifying the diagnosis.

Treatment:

Patients suffering from hemiplegic migraine must avoid the activities that trigger the disease.

Minor head injuries are one of the most common causes of a hemiplegic attack. Therefore, patients with this disorder must avid contact sports and other physical activities.