Contrary to popular belief, migraines do not cause brain damage, reports a promising new study from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris.
Researchers worked with 780 senior citizens in Nantes, France, observing them over the span of ten years. Fifteen percent of the volunteers suffered from migraines, while the others did not.
Using MRI technology and cognitive tests, the study, published in the British Medical Journal, found no decline in cognitive function or significant difference in abilities between sufferers and non-sufferers, even for those who were plagued by severe migraines for years.
Migraines can cause tiny lesions to form in the brain, which were previously thought to cause brain damage, although this had never been confirmed.
"It is almost always the first question that migraine patients ask,” said the study’s author, Christophe Tzourio. “Today we can provide an answer: there’s nothing to worry about."
"In spite of the increased presence of lesions of the brain micro vessels, this disorder does not increase the risk of cognitive decline," concluded Tzourio.