A new study by researchers at the Institute of Neurology, London has shown that
there are several preliminaries to a migraine attack. The researchers who
studied 97 people with migraine attacks that identification of these symptoms
would give new insights into the condition and also help manage it better.
The group of 97 participants were given a hand-held electronic diary to record
symptoms of the attack on a daily basis for three months. The researchers found
that nearly 97 per cent of the participants had recorded some kind of symptom
prior to an actual attack. The most common symptoms reported were tiredness,
difficulty concentrating, and stiff neck. The symptoms increased in intensity as
the attack approached and were still there for a time after the attack subsided.
The finding, according to the researchers, suggests that there are certain
changes in the brain that occurs two or three days beforehand, which gives rise
to these symptoms. This indicated that there more to migraine attacks than just
the headaches. The researchers concluded that this study could help in
effectively managing migraine attacks by taking medication when the warning
signs come on. 
