A correlation between severity of migraine and delayed gastric emptying measured by an epigastric impedance method.

1. This study examined the ability of a bioimpedance method to detect the delay in gastric emptying which occurs during attacks of migraine. 2. In 64 non-migraineur control patients and 46 migraine patients outside an attack, gastric emptying rates were within the predicted normal range. 3. In contrast, rates in 14 migraineurs during 20 attacks were delayed during severe or moderate attacks and were significantly correlated with the intensity of headache, nausea and photophobia. 4. The epigastric impedance method was generally well tolerated by patients and appears to merit further investigation as a clinical method of monitoring gastric emptying of liquids.