Scintillating scotomas are caused by cortical spreading depression
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 62/100
Scintillating scotomas and other migraine visual auras are widely supported by scientific literature to be caused by cortical spreading depression, a slowly propagating wave of neuronal and glial depolarization.
Evidence for · 5
Migraine Visual Aura and Cortical Spreading Depression—Linking Mathematical Models to Empirical Evidence
2021 · cited by 19
The review notes that reaction-diffusion models use cortical spreading depolarisation and depression to model the hallucinations and visual aura experienced in migraines.
Evidence against · 1
Is canonical SD a clinically relevant model of migraine? Argument con.
2025 · cited by 2
The article argues that translating canonical cortical spreading depolarization directly to human aura symptoms presents inconsistencies and oversimplifies the mechanism.
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More for · 4
Vagus nerve stimulation inhibits cortical spreading depression via glutamate-dependent TrkB activation mechanism in the nucleus tractus solitarius
2024 · cited by 12
The paper explicitly references cortical spreading depression as the underlying mechanism of migraine aura.
Rethinking migraine with aura: Why cortical spreading depolarization (depression), not aura, causes headaches
2025 · cited by 5
The study states that cortical spreading depolarization and depression underlies migrainous aura.
What does a migraine aura look like?-A systematic review.
2025 · cited by 4
The systematic review confirms that the underlying pathophysiology of migraine aura is closely tied to cortical spreading depression.
Is canonical SD a clinically relevant model of migraine? Argument pro.
2025 · cited by 1
The article affirms that cortical spreading depression is the likely electrical event responsible for aura, including scintillating scotoma.