Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42415966›Full record

Observational studyNeurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)2026

Investigating the Patent Foramen Ovale-Migraine Link in Southern Saudi Arabia.

Al-Amir Bassiouny Mohamed, Maeed Alkathiri, Saad Mushabab Ali Alqahtani, Naif H Ali, Saima Kashif, Saad A Alshahrani, Mohammed S Alqahtani, Mohamed Gaber Mahmoud Gabr, Eltohami Zydan Dafalla, Basharat Hameed Zargar and 4 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Al-Amir Bassiouny MohamedDepartment of Neurology and Psychological Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0002-0118-453X
Maeed AlkathiriInternal Medicine Department, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Saad Mushabab Ali AlqahtaniInternal Medicine Department, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Naif H AliDepartment of Internal Medicine, Medical College, Najran University, Najran, Saudia Arabia.
Saima KashifInternal Medicine Department, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Saad A AlshahraniInternal Medicine Department, King Faisal Medical City for Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Mohammed S AlqahtaniInternal Medicine Department, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Mohamed Gaber Mahmoud GabrInternal Medicine Department, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Eltohami Zydan DafallaInternal Medicine Department, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Basharat Hameed ZargarInternal Medicine Department, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Wael QenawiDepartment of Cardiology, Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Cardiac Centre-Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia, National Heart Institute, Giza, Egypt.
Ali Mohammed A AlshehriDepartment of Cardiology, King Khalid University, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Fatimah AsiriInternal Medicine Department, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Khamis Mushait, Saudia Arabia.
Ahmed BoraiDepartment of Neurology and Psychological Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Migraine is a highly disabling neurological condition, and increasing attention has focused on a possible connection with patent foramen ovale (PFO). Methods: This single-center observational study enrolled 45 individuals from January to April 2024: 30 migraine patients with PFO (Group 1) and 15 migraine patients without PFO serving as controls (Group 2). All subjects underwent transthoracic echocardiography and completed standardized instruments including the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), Migraine Symptom Severity Scale (MSSS), Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12), Visual Aura Rating Scale (VARS), and Migraine Treatment Optimization Questionnaire (mTOQ-6). Results: The participant's mean age was 37.3 ± 9 years. More than half experienced migraine with aura, a proportion notably greater among those with PFO. A positive family history, suboptimal response to therapy, and positional exacerbation were significantly associated with the PFO group. Fibrinogen concentrations and several migraine-related scores including MIDAS, HIT-6, MSSS, ASC-12, and mTOQ-6 differed significantly between groups. Conclusion: Migraine linked to PFO are more likely to have an aura, a stronger family patterns, worsening symptoms based on position, and overall, greater disability and increased severity of symptoms. These findings support an association between PFO and migraine characteristics and may have implications for clinical management.

Indexed as

Foramen Ovale, PatentMigraine DisordersMigraine with AuraAdultEchocardiographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSaudi ArabiaSeverity of Illness IndexForamen ovaleHeart septal defectsMigraine disordersMigraine with auraPatent

Identifiers

PMID42415966
PMCPMC13340596

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.