Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies
| Study | Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria | Diagnosis (no. of subjects, female/male) | Diagnosis, age (years, mean ± SD) | Headache-free interval | Menstrual phase | Equipment, stimulator, Co/MF/EF/CD | Blinding | Definition of PT | Interstimulus interval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before TMS | After TMS | ||||||||||
| Áfra et al. [37] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14). C: healthy subjects | M: drugs altering CNS excitability. C: not reported |
MA (18, –) MwA (22, –) C (19, –) |
MA – MwA – C – |
≥3 days | ≥3 days | – | Magstim 200 Ci/2.5/–/130 | – | Intensity gradually increase until visual experience was reported | – |
| Aurora et al. [29] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14). C: healthy subjects | M: drugs altering CNS excitability. C: not reported |
MA (11, 10/1) C (11, 8/3) |
MA 37 ± 7 C 36 ± 7 |
≥1 week | – | – | Cadwell MES 10 Ci/2.0/530/95 | Study participants | Intensity gradually increase until visual experience was reported | 20 s |
| Aurora et al. [30] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14). C: healthy subjects | M: drugs altering CNS excitability. C: not reported |
MA (14, –) MwA (1, –) C (8, 5/3) |
M 39.9 ± 8.2 C 37.3 ± 6.1 |
≥1 week | – | – | Cadwell MES 10 Ci/2.0/530/95 | Study participants | Intensity gradually increase until visual experience was reported | 20 s |
| Mulleners et al. [36] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14); ≥2 attacks/month in the 3 months before the study. C: healthy subjects | M: contraindication for TMS, any neurologic or ophthalmologic condition other than refractive error; drugs altering CNS excitability. C: lifetime history of >2 attacks of migraine and migraines in the past year |
MA (16, 14/2) MwA (12, 6/6) C (16, 14/2) |
MA – MwA – C – |
≥24 h | – | – | Magstim 200 Ci/2.0/530/130 | Investigators not blinded | Intensity gradually increase until visual experience was reported | ≥5 s |
| Bohotin et al. [32] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14). C: healthy subjects | M: no other medical condition; personal or family history of epilepsy; prophylactic anti-migraine treatment within the 3 months before the study. C: no other medical condition; personal or family history of epilepsy |
MA (10, –) MwA (20, –) C (24, 14/10) |
M 33.5 ± 10.8 C 23.5 ± 2.5 |
≥3 days | ≥3 days | TMS performed 12–16 days after the firsdt day of menses (at mid-cycle) | Magstim Rapid E/1.2/–/70 | – | Lowest intensity (%) able to evoke PP in at least 3 out of 5 trials | – |
| Aurora et al. [31] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14). C: healthy subjects | M: >1 muscular contraction headache/month, history of seizures, pacemakers; drugs altering CNS excitability. C: not reported |
MA (10, 9/1) MwA (10, 8/2) C (10, 8/2) |
MA 38 ± 13 MwA 39 ± 10 C 37 ± 9 |
≥1 week | – | – | Cadwell Magstim Ci/2.0/530/95 | Investigator performing TMS and study participants | Intensity gradually increase until visual experience was reported | 20 s |
| Bohotin et al. [33] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14). C: healthy subjects | M: neurological, ophthalmological or systemic disorder; personal or family history of epilepsy; prophylactic anti-migraine treatment within the 3 months before the study. C: neurological, ophthalmological or systemic disorder; personal or family history of epilepsy; personal or family history of migraine |
MA (13, –) MwA (24, –) C (33, 18/15) |
M 30.3 ± 10.1 C 25.5 ± 6.6 |
≥3 days | ≥3 days | TMS performed 12–16 days after the firsdt day of menses (at mid-cycle) | Magstim Rapid E/1.2/–/70 | Investigator performing TMS | Lowest intensity (%) able to evoke PP in at least 3 out of 5 trials | – |
| Gerwig et al. [35] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (15) C: healthy subjects | M: acute neurological illness such as epilepsy, organic mental disorder, or alcohol and substance abuse; drugs altering CNS excitability. C: drugs altering CNS excitability; family history of migraine |
MA (19, 12/7) MwA (19, 15/4) C (22, 11/11) |
MA 32 ± 8 MwA 39 ± 10 C 30 ± 4 |
≥3 days | ≥3 days | TMS performed during both menstrual phases | Medtronic Dantec MagPro E/–/–/100 | Investigator performing TMS | Intensity (%) able to evoke PP in at least 5 out of 10 trials | ≥10 s |
| Gunaydin et al. [34] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14). C: healthy subjects. | M: drugs altering CNS excitability. C: not reported. |
MA (15, 14/1) MwA (15,12/3) C 30 (26/4) |
MA 33.9 ± 5.9 MwA 33.0 ± 4.3 C 33.0 ± 4.9 |
≥1 week | 3 days | – | Magstim 200 Ci/–/–/135 | Investigator performing TMS and study participants | Intensity gradually increase until visual experience was reported | – |
| Khedr et al. [38] | M: diagnosis according to IHS (14). C: healthy subjects. | M: <1 attack of migraine/week; patients taking any drug within 24 h before the study. C: family history of migraine; subjects taking any drug within 24 h before the study |
MA (18, –) MwA (10, –) C (20, –) |
M 33.7 ± 6.9 C 30.5 ± 7.8 |
≥3 days | ≥3 days | Females not tested pre or during menstrual phase | Maglite r 25 E/–/–/90 | – | Intensity (%) able to evoke PP in 5 out of 10 trials | ≥5 s |
C controls, CD outer coil diameter (mm), Ci circular coil, Co coil shape, E figure-of-eight coil, EF electric field strength (V/m), IHS International Headache Society, M migraine patients, MA migraine with aura, MF magnetic field strength (Tesla), MwA migraine without aura, PP phosphenes