From the Guidelines
Ocular migraines can sometimes cause speech problems, including expressive aphasia, but this is not a common symptom. Expressive aphasia (difficulty producing speech) may occur during a complex migraine or migraine with aura, particularly when the migraine affects brain regions responsible for language production. These speech disturbances are typically temporary and resolve as the migraine subsides. If you experience speech difficulties during a migraine, it's essential to seek medical evaluation to rule out more serious conditions like stroke, as the symptoms can be similar. Treatment focuses on managing the underlying migraine with medications such as triptans (sumatriptan, rizatriptan), NSAIDs, or preventive medications like topiramate or propranolol if migraines are frequent. Speech problems during migraines occur because the abnormal brain activity that causes migraines can temporarily disrupt neural pathways involved in language processing. Some key points to consider include:
- The importance of seeking medical attention if speech problems occur during a migraine, especially if accompanied by other neurological symptoms 1.
- The use of medications such as triptans, NSAIDs, or preventive medications like topiramate or propranolol to manage migraines and potentially alleviate speech problems 1.
- The need for a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and management, including patient education and consideration of comorbidities and complications 1. If you experience new or severe speech problems with migraines, especially if accompanied by weakness, confusion, or other neurological symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.
From the Research
Ocular Migraine and Speech Problems
- Ocular migraine is a condition that can cause transient monocular visual loss, but its relationship with speech problems is not well-established.
- A study on altered speech with migraine attacks found that speech changes occurred in almost half of the individuals during migraine attacks, including changes in speaking rate, articulation rate and precision, and phonatory duration 2.
- However, this study did not specifically investigate ocular migraine, but rather episodic migraine without aura.
- Another study reviewed symptoms of dysphasia and other higher cortical dysfunctions during migraine aura, and found that language disturbances were reported in 10-53% of patients 3.
- But again, this study focused on migraine aura, not specifically ocular migraine.
- There is limited evidence directly linking ocular migraine to expressive aphasia or speech problems, with most studies focusing on other aspects of migraine or its treatment 4, 5, 6.
- More research is needed to determine if ocular migraine can cause speech problems, including expressive aphasia.