Vascular responses in the hands of patients suffering from migraine.

The response of the hand blood vessels to a measured, controlled cold stimulus was determined, using venous occlusion plethysmography, in normal subjects and patients who suffered from migraine. The resting level of hand blood flow was found to be higher in the patients, but the percentage fall in flow that resulted when the cold stimulus was applied was less than in the normal subjects. The hand blood vessels of the patients responded to intra-arterial noradrenaline and tyramine in a normal fashion.