Basilar Artery Migraine

What is basilar type migraine?

Basilar type migraine is a rare form of migraine headache. The symptoms of basilar type migraine are related to the base of the brain, known as the brainstem, which is located near a major blood vessel known as the basilar artery. However this blood vessel itself has not been proven to be the cause of the symptoms characteristic of this migraine variant, and the term “basilar artery migraine” has been replaced with the term “basilar type migraine.”

Basilar type migraine affects both men and women, but is more common in young women. Initially, when the condition was first described, it was thought to affect only adolescent females. Females are affected three times as commonly as males, as with classic migraine.

Basilar type migraine is characterized by an aura (perceptual symptoms that precede a migraine) that produces symptoms such as double vision, dizziness, vertigo, problems with balance, changes in hearing and speech, and numbness and tingling. These symptoms may cause a person to appear intoxicated. Loss of consciousness is also possible, but weakness is not a feature of the aura. In general, the aura of basilar type migraine lasts an hour or less.

The symptoms of the aura have no permanent neurological effects. After the aura ends, the typical symptoms of migraine headache begin. The duration and course of the subsequent migraine headache vary from person to person. Some people with migraine have less severe or less frequent symptoms, while others may have symptoms that are so severe and frequent that the symptoms can keep them from performing normal activities.

Seek immediate medical care (call 911) for serious symptoms, such as double or blurred vision, confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment, weakness or loss of strength on one side of the body, or numbness or tingling in the arms or legs on one side of your body, as these may be a sign of stroke.