Reduced sensory anticipation in migraine.

We examined differences between migraine patients and matched healthy controls in anticipatory processes preceding a warning stimulus and preceding a response stimulus during a forewarned choice reaction time task. We manipulated stimulus preceding negativity (SPN) by inserting full response information either at the instant of the warning stimulus (cue) or at the instant of the response stimulus. In contrast to control subjects, migraineurs with aura show low anticipation towards an informative cue and high anticipation towards a noninformative cue.