Dynamic Quantification of Migrainous Thermal Facial Patterns – A Pilot Study

This article documents thermophysiological patterns associated with migraine episodes, where the inner canthi and supraorbital temperatures drop significantly compared to normal conditions. These temperature drops are likely due to vasoconstriction of the ophthalmic arteries under the inner canthi and sympathetic activation of the eccrine glands in the supraorbital region, respectively. The thermal patterns were observed on eight migraine patients and meticulously quantified using advance computational methods, capable of delineating small anatomical structures in thermal imagery and tracking them automatically over time. These methods open the way for monitoring migraine episodes in nonclinical environments, where the patient maintains directional attention, such as his/her computer at home or at work. This development has the potential to significantly expand the operational envelope of migraine studies.