Brain Function & Performance
16 Expert Sessions
Migraine affects many aspects of brain function beyond pain. People often experience brain fog, fatigue, sleep disruption, and changes in cognitive performance during and between attacks. This pathway explores how migraine affects the brain, including cognition, sleep, metabolism, and the gut-brain connection, along with strategies that may help support long-term brain health.
Cognition & Brain Health
Brain Fog: Understanding the Cognitive Impacts of Migraine
Elizabeth (Betsy) Seng, PhD (2025)
Why migraine can affect concentration, memory, and mental clarity during and between attacks.
Cognition and Aging Well With Migraine
Shivang Joshi, MD, MPH, RPh (2020)
What research shows about cognitive aging and long-term brain health in people with migraine.
Is Migraine Linked With Cognitive Decline or Dementia?
Richard B. Lipton, MD (2024)
Examining the evidence around migraine, dementia risk, and cognitive decline.
Strategies to Boost Brain Health
Krystal L. Culler, DBH, MA (2022)
Practical approaches that may help support brain health and cognitive resilience.
Pain, Memory and Migraine
Jack Schim, MD, FAHS (2020)
How pain pathways interact with memory, attention, and brain function.
Sleep & Brain Function
How Poor Sleep Worsens Migraine: What You Need to Know
Lauren R. Natbony, MD, FAHS (2025)
Understanding the strong connection between sleep disruption and migraine frequency.
Learning How to Sleep Better with Migraine
Alex Dimitriu, MD (2022)
Sleep strategies that may help stabilize migraine and improve daytime functioning.
Sleep, Insomnia and Energy
Christine Lay, MD, FAHS (2019)
Why sleep disorders and fatigue commonly accompany migraine.
How Your Gut and Sleep Affect Migraine
Stasha Gominak, MD (2021)
The role of sleep quality, gut health, and vitamin balance in migraine symptoms.
Metabolism & the Gut–Brain Connection
The Gut-Brain Connection in Migraine
Jay Pasricha, MD, MBBS (2023)
How communication between the gut and brain may influence migraine attacks.
Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection in Migraine
Trupti Gokani, MD (2018)
An overview of how digestive health and neurological pathways interact in migraine.
Is Migraine a Brain Energy Problem?
Elena Gross (2024)
A metabolic perspective on migraine and the brain’s energy demands.
How Fasting, Weight and Dehydration Affect Your Brain
Elizabeth Leroux, MD, FRCPC (2020)
How hydration, nutrition, and metabolic factors can influence migraine risk.
Understanding the Migraine Brain
The Mechanics of a Migraine in the Brain and Body
David Dodick, MD (2018)
A clear explanation of what happens in the brain and nervous system during migraine.
Concussions, Brain Injuries and Migraine
Joel Saper, MD (2018)
Understanding how brain injuries and concussion can interact with migraine.
Understanding the Hypersensitive Migraine Brain
Todd Schwedt, MD (2017)
Why the migraine brain processes sensory information differently from others.
Back to Pathways