Lamotrigine reduces migraine aura frequency by 80% in Lund University study

The antiepileptic drug lamotrigine can significantly reduce the frequency of auras in migraines. This conclusion was reached by scientists at Lund University in Sweden. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology (FN).

The study included 81 patients with frequent or particularly severe migraine aura. It can present as visual disturbances, temporary loss of vision, numbness, problems with balance and speech.

After treatment with lamotrigine, the number of days with aura decreased from an average of 6.9 to 1.4 days per month—about 80 percent. Among patients in whom aura was the main symptom of migraine, 85 percent had its frequency reduced by at least half.

Lamotrigine is commonly used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It reduces the excessive excitability of nerve cells by affecting their electrical activity and reducing the release of glutamate. It is assumed that due to this, the drug can interfere with the processes in the cerebral cortex that cause migraine aura.