Editors' Note: Microembolism and Other Links Between Migraine and Stroke: Clinical and Pathophysiologic Update

In “Microembolism and Other Links Between Migraine and Stroke: Clinical and Pathophysiologic Update,” Sacco et al. reviewed the clinical and pathophysiologic relationship between migraine and stroke. Scutelnic et al. commented that it is important to recognize that (1) there are limited data on the clinical features of stroke in patients with migraine with aura; (2) migraine aura can change, and the difference between the change in aura and ischemic stroke is not clear; and (3) the relationship between atrial fibrillation and migraine, particularly as pertains to hypercoagulability, antithrombotics, and migraine prevention and treatment, is unclear. For the authors, Ornello et al. noted that although aura symptoms can change, clinical characteristics usually define the distinction between a typical migraine and migrainous infarction including persistent focal findings or neuroimaging evidence of an ischemic brain lesion in the appropriate territory responsible for 1 or more aura symptoms. They also agreed that the relationship between atrial fibrillation and migraine is complex but indicated that this relationship was outside the scope of their review. In “Microembolism and Other Links Between Migraine and Stroke: Clinical and Pathophysiologic Update,” Sacco et al. reviewed the clinical and pathophysiologic relationship between migraine and stroke. Scutelnic et al. commented that it is important to recognize that (1) there are limited data on the clinical features of stroke in patients with migraine with aura; (2) migraine aura can change, and the difference between the change in aura and ischemic stroke is not clear; and (3) the relationship between atrial fibrillation and migraine, particularly as pertains to hypercoagulability, antithrombotics, and migraine prevention and treatment, is unclear. For the authors, Ornello et al. noted that although aura symptoms can change, clinical characteristics usually define the distinction between a typical migraine and migrainous infarction including persistent focal findings or neuroimaging evidence of an ischemic brain lesion in the appropriate territory responsible for 1 or more aura symptoms. They also agreed that the relationship between atrial fibrillation and migraine is complex but indicated that this relationship was outside the scope of their review.