A pilot study on the working memory capacity in migraineurs

Abstract

In order to explore whether working memory capacity of migraineurs was impaired or not, N-back Test was applied in 23 migraineurs and 25 healthy controls who were matched in sex, age, education, Verbal Fluency Test (VF), Digit Span Test (DS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) with migraineurs. It showed that when these migraineurs dealed with primary task of N-back Test (0-back), they showed higher accuracy rate (t = 2.627, P = 0.017) but slower reaction time (t = 1.483, P = 0.012). However, there were no significant differences between 2 groups when they dealed with advanced task of N-back Test (1-back: accuracy rate t = 1.399, P = 0.387, reaction time t = 1.069, P = 0.335; 2-back: accuracy rate t = 0.016, P = 0.209, reaction time t = 3.736, P = 0.777). As a result, working memory capacity of migraineurs was basically matched with healthy controls.

DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2015.01.014