Optometric correlates of migraine
Dr Deacon Harle
Nearly 8% of the UK population suffer from migraine. Headache is probably the most common symptom reported by patients who consult optometrists, suggesting that optometrists are likely to encounter migraine commonly.
The aetiology of migraine is not fully understood. Although the existence of various vascular , hormonal and neurological correlates has been established, the role of these factors as the causal mechanism of the headache remains unclear. Some authors have suggested that optometric anomalies are a trigger for migraine for example low convergent fusional reserves, decompensated near exophoria and hyperphoria. Studies investigating these possible triggers had major methodological limitations but there is some anecdotal evidence to support the conclusions. More recently pattern glare has been identified as a trigger for migraine and treatment with individually prescribed tinted lenses has been suggested. In contrast, medical literature is sceptical about the role of visual factors in migraine.
The study will investigate the optometric profile of a cross section of primary care patients with migraine to determine what role, if any, optometrists have in managing some cases of migraine.