The efficacy of ginkgolide B in the acute treatment of migraine aura: an open preliminary trial.

In this open trial we evaluated the possible efficacy of Ginkgolide B in the treatment of acute aura in a group of patients suffering from migraine with aura, considering in particular the effect of the treatment on aura duration. Twenty-five patients (16 females, 9 males, mean age 39.7 ± 13.5 years, range 18-65) suffering from migraine with aura were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis was made according to the diagnostic criteria of the international classification of headache disorders, second edition (ICHD-II), for typical aura with migraine headache (n = 19) or typical aura without headache (n = 6). Patients were asked to use a diary card to register the exact duration of the aura symptoms in two consecutive attacks of aura. In the first one, they only took note of the duration of neurological symptoms in minutes. In the following attack, they were instructed to take orally, immediately at the onset of the first symptoms of aura, two capsules of a combination of 60 mg Ginkgo biloba terpenes phytosome, 11 mg coenzyme Q 10 and 8.7 mg vitamin B2 (Migrasoll). Aura duration (expressed in minutes) was significantly (p < 0.001) reduced by Migrasoll intake, being 33.6 ± 11.5 in the first untreated attack and 21.9 ± 11.8 during the second attack. In general, there was a marked amelioration of the features of the neurological symptoms of aura in the treated attack. In four patients (18.1 %) suffering from typical aura with migraine, the pain phase disappeared. Among the patients who completed the study no serious adverse events were reported.