The aura: a tertiary care study of 952 migraine patients.

The aim of this study was to document the frequency and types of aura symptoms, to define the relationship between aura symptoms and to define the aura frequency in different migraine types. In 952 migraine patients, aura frequency, duration, time to headache, characteristics and percentage of headaches with aura were analysed. Thirty-eight percent of IHS 1.1-1.5 patients reported aura, 38.1% of females and 33.0% of males. Average percentage of aura occurrence with headache was 19.7% of headaches, average aura duration 27.3 min and aura was followed by headache in 10.4 min on average. Visual disturbances occurred in 92.1% and aura without visual aura was rare. Aura frequency was headache-type dependent. The highest frequency of aura was seen in the more 'full-blown' migraine attack. Visual aura is the overwhelming aura symptom. Even in patients with aura the percentage of aura with migraine attacks is limited. Copyright 2004 Blackwell Publishing Ltd