Does Migraine Cause Memory Loss? What to Know About Brain Fog and Other Cognitive Symptoms
Brain fog and memory loss are common symptoms before, during, and after a migraine attack. They're usually temporary but can be debilitating. So, why do they happen?
According to Olivia Begasse de Dhaem, MD, a neurologist and headache medicine specialist at Hartford Healthcare in Connecticut: “Cognitive dysfunction is common during all phases of migraine. … People can have trouble with concentration, making decisions, brain fog, difficulty coming up with words, difficulty processing information, and memory loss. … One of the main cognitive dysfunction issues between migraine attacks is memory loss.”
Here, we look at the links between memory loss, brain fog, and migraine. We also explore some current thinking about what links them.
Thinking problems can occur any time during a migraine. They can be a warning that a migraine attack is going to start and a key feature of the “migraine hangover” that lingers after the worst of pain has gone.
“Cognitive dysfunction, or the inability to think or concentrate, is a common and disabling symptom of migraine attacks,” Dr. Begasse de Dhaem says.
Research suggests that almost 40 percent of people with migraine experience difficulty thinking before, during, and after an attack. The American Migraine Foundation refers to these challenges as brain fog and temporary memory loss. They often occur from up to 48 hours before pain begins and up to 24 hours after it ends but can persist between attacks.
People with migraine often report problems with:
Paying attention
Processing speed
Memory
Remembering words
Carrying out tasks and multitasking
Staying focused on a task
Some research suggests these symptoms are up to 4 times more likely with chronic migraine — when attacks occur on at least 15 days a month for at least three months — than with episodic or occasional migraine.
People with migraine often report problems with memory loss, but the link remains unclear. Factors relating to both migraine and brain fog, such as pain, fatigue, and difficulty focusing, may help explain patterns of memory loss with migraine, although experts are still unsure.
Elizabeth Seng, PhD, a psychology and neurology professor at Yeshiva University in New York City, who will speak about cognitive issues during the 2025 Migraine World Summit, says people are more likely to report memory loss interictally (between migraine episodes), but it's not clear why.
Memory Loss or Something Else?
“It is … common to misattribute attention issues to memory loss,” Begasse de Dhaem says. “If someone isn't able to pay attention or concentrate during or around a migraine attack and then doesn't recall the information they learned, it's not that they forgot or experienced memory loss; it's that they had difficulty paying attention.”
Cogniphobia
During her Migraine World Summit interview, Dr. Seng also proposes cogniphobia as a possible cause of difficulty thinking, especially between attacks. Cogniphobia is when a person is afraid to think or reason too much in case it triggers an attack. This fear of thinking “too hard” between attacks may result in losing the habit of thinking hard over time. What appears to be long-term cognitive decline may in fact be an avoidance strategy.
In a study published in 2022, people who met the criteria for cogniphobia found it hard to remember images in the short and longer term, suggesting a link between cogniphobia and memory loss.
The links between migraine and cognitive impairment are complex. However, the relationship between migraine and memory loss may become clearer as scientists learn more about migraine and its underlying mechanisms.
Researchers investigating what causes brain fog with migraine are also looking at changes in brain structure and function. Findings based on functional MRI studies suggest migraine may involve changes in brain activity that could affect how the brain processes thoughts.
Cortical Spreading Depression
One possible explanation relates to an electrophysiological phenomenon known as cortical spreading depression (CSD). This is an electrical and blood flow process that, under certain circumstances, spreads from the back of the brain, which controls vision, to the front of the brain, which governs thinking and memory.
Scientists describe CSD as a “slowly propagating, self-sustaining wave.” Electrical activity stops in a significant area of brain cells for several minutes as the wave moves across the brain. The word “depression” refers to this stoppage. Some scientists believe CSD marks the start of a migraine attack, which could explain why the aura or visual disturbances often come first.
As CSD moves across the brain toward the front, it slows thinking and makes it harder to focus, which may affect your short-term memory. CSD has also been linked to inflammation in cells in the meninges (the brain's lining). According to one study, a single CSD attack may result in meningeal inflammation lasting three hours or more, which may explain the headache phase of a migraine attack.
The Glymphatic System
The glymphatic system removes toxins and waste from the brain. According to Begasse de Dhaem, “There [are] new data suggesting that the cortical spreading depression of migraine aura may alter the function of the glymphatic system. The thought is that if the wastes and toxins aren't cleared up as well, then brain fog may happen. That may be one of the mechanisms to explain the relationship between migraine and cognitive dysfunction with others, such as the neuroinflammation related to migraine attacks.”
However, more research is needed to identify why people with migraine are susceptible to CSD.
Hemiplegic Migraine
An uncommon form of migraine, hemiplegic migraine, may cause longer lasting problems with brain function, including long-term memory loss. Symptoms include weakness on one side of the body along with headache and other traditional migraine symptoms. It usually develops over 20 to 30 minutes and lasts several days.
Most people recover completely from a hemiplegic migraine attack, but problems with thinking and memory may last for several weeks or months. In rare cases, some people who live with hemiplegic migraine have long-term cognitive issues.
Medication is essential for managing migraine, but some may contribute to brain fog and memory loss. Migraine medications mostly target the central nervous system and brain function. While relieving symptoms, they may also affect thinking and memory or make you drowsy.
Regular use of some of these drugs may also increase the risk of longer-term problems, such as:
amitriptyline
Calcium channel blockers, such as flunarizine (though not verapamil, which is much more commonly prescribed)
Triptans, such as sumatriptan
Ergots, such as Ergomar
Some anti-seizure medications, such as topiramate and depakote
Other drugs may help protect you from potential damage, such as the antidepressants venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta).
Seng says that while certain preventive medications for migraine may cause thinking problems, not effectively managing it might make it worse. Patients should manage migraine assertively by switching to a medication that treats the condition but does not cause cognitive slowing
Speak with your doctor if you think your medication is making brain fog or memory problems worse.
Experts don't yet know for sure if there's a link between migraine and dementia. One scientific review published in 2022 found that migraine may increase the risk of dementia, particularly vascular dementia. Another study published in 2023 concluded that people with migraine may have a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease later in life than those without, particularly if they also have obesity or experienced migraine from a young age.
More research is needed, but Seng recommends proactively treating migraine to lower the risk in the meantime.
Research around migraine-related brain fog is still emerging, so there aren't a lot of evidence-based treatments for brain fog itself. Reducing the frequency of migraine attacks is the best strategy for preventing cognitive symptoms.
Along with medical treatments, there are a handful of nondrug strategies that have been shown to reduce the frequency of attacks. Seng suggests:
A healthy diet
Weight-bearing and aerobic exercise
Yoga
Stress management
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Relaxation techniques
Biofeedback
The American Migraine Foundation offers a wealth of resources, including the chance to join an Advocacy Hub to help spread awareness about migraine. No matter what, it is essential to talk to your healthcare provider about the right way to treat and manage migraine.
Migraine is a condition that causes headache and other symptoms, including brain fog and memory loss.
Experts don't entirely understand why memory loss happens with migraine, but it may be due to brain changes or certain medications.
Brain fog and memory loss are not usually long-term with migraine, although migraine may increase a person's risk of developing dementia in some cases.
