The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) recently concluded its five-day annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois. From April 18 through April 22, the 2026 AAN Annual Meeting brought the global neurology community together for five days of education, innovation, and networking opportunities. Every day was packed with sessions on robust topics related to neurology, hosted by world leaders who presented the latest evidence-based data. 

With thousands of abstracts presented at the annual meeting, we have a curated selection of those focusing on headache and migraine topics. Some descriptions and conclusions were edited for clarity and brevity. To view the full 2026 AAN Annual Meeting abstract archive, visit the event’s official website.

Headache & Migraine Abstracts from the 2026 AAN Annual Meeting

Risk Stratification of Hypertension Induced by CGRP Antagonist in Migraine Treatment: A Retrospective Observational Analysis

  • Description: [This study compared] incidence of hypertension across different calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonist agents and effect of comorbidities in response to emerging post-market safety signals.
  • Conclusion: Hypertension following CGRP initiation is an early event, occurring within the first few months. Once developed, hypertension tends to persist, with no new cases after three months. The pattern is similar across drug classes, indicating that risk is likely related to the CGRP pathway blockade rather than a specific molecule.

Association Between Midlife Migraine and Dementia During over 40 Years of Follow-up in a Large U.S. Healthcare Database

  • Description: Migraine is a leading cause of disability and impacts nearly a billion people worldwide. Prior studies on migraine and dementia have suggested possible associations. However, follow-up time from migraine ascertainment to dementia has been limited and may not capture mid-life migraine or the age ranges in which the highest dementia risks occur.
  • Conclusion: These findings suggest that mid-life migraine may be associated with dementia onset later in life. Further studies are needed to adjust for potential confounders from early to mid-life, and to determine how the onset of other health conditions, such as stroke or high blood pressure, may modify these associations.

Real-world Improvements in Cognitive Symptoms After Eptinezumab Treatment in Patients in Whom ≥1 Prior Anti-CGRP Preventive Treatment had Failed: 6-month Results for the Ongoing INFUSE Study

  • Description: Migraine-related cognitive symptoms are common and disabling. In the REVIEW study, among the 80% of patients with brain fog at baseline, 86% reported improvements with eptinezumab treatment. This analysis of the ongoing INFUSE study assessed the impact of eptinezumab on broader migraine-related cognitive symptoms in an interim effectiveness population who received two infusions, completed baseline and month six surveys, and reported brain fog/other cognitive symptoms at baseline.
  • Conclusion: Migraine-related cognitive symptoms were highly prevalent and bothersome at baseline, underscoring the importance of addressing these symptoms in migraine management. Cognitive functioning improved following eptinezumab treatment in ≥50% of patients at month six, with measurable improvements in all domains within seven days.

A Decade of Headaches Unraveled: Jugular Decompression via C1 Osteotomy in Venous Eagle Syndrome

  • Description: Eagle syndrome is a rare disorder most associated with an elongated styloid process causing cervicofacial pain, dysphagia, or carotid compression. A lesser-known variant, venous Eagle syndrome, involves internal jugular vein (IJV) compression, typically between the styloid process and the C1 transverse process, resulting in impaired cerebral venous outflow. This form is increasingly recognized in headache pathophysiology, yet the role of C1 transverse process osteotomy as a definitive treatment remains underreported.
  • Conclusion: This case illustrates the importance of considering venous Eagle syndrome in chronic refractory headache. When bony impingement at C1 contributes to IJV compression, C1 transverse process osteotomy alone can restore venous drainage and relieve symptoms. Manometry provides critical confirmation of physiologic significance, guiding surgical decision-making in this rare but treatable cause of headache.

Infertility in Women with Migraine: The Impact of Fertility Treatment and Stress

  • Description: This cross-sectional study used a ten-question online survey to explore infertility experiences among adult women with migraine from February to April 2025. Participants were recruited via social media posts shared by Miles for Migraine and relevant Facebook groups, with eligibility limited to women aged 18 and older.
  • Conclusion: Participants in [the research] survey had high rates of infertility and infertility related stress. Likewise, the factors contributing to infertility that have been previously associated with migraine were present in [the study] population. Participants generally noted worsening in migraine with fertility treatment suggesting a possible association between hormonal therapy and migraine. Results from this study suggest a need for stress management as an early intervention for women with migraine who are undergoing fertility treatment.

Vascular Risk Prediction in Migraine: A Multimodality Risk Score Based on Artificial Intelligence-electrocardiogram Output, Echocardiography, and Detailed Migraine Characteristics

  • Description: Patients with migraine have higher risks for stroke and other adverse vascular events. [The researchers] have conducted prior analyses on artificial intelligence-electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) algorithms, echocardiogram parameters, and detailed migraine characteristics separately to predict vascular events. However, the relative importance and combined effects of each modality have not been established.
  • Conclusion: This study supports the use of AI-ECG output, echocardiogram and migraine characteristics for vascular risk prediction, and highlights the importance of detailed migraine information for risk stratification.

Daily Light Exposure Habits of Youth with Migraine and its Association with Headache Frequency

  • Description: Over 80% of individuals with migraine experience photophobia, but it is unknown if this leads to light-avoidant behavior and how this impacts circadian biology. The technological development of wearable continuous light loggers allows for real-world data collection to address these questions.
  • Conclusion: Measuring daily light exposure is feasible and clinically relevant in populations with photophobia. The relationship between delayed daily light exposure and increased migraine burden warrants further study.

Occipital Nerve Block with Lidocaine for Acute Post-stroke Headache: Preliminary Results

  • Description: Headache is a common complication of stroke, yet there are no established treatment guidelines for acute post-stroke headache (APSH) as defined by ICHD-3. Most  migraine therapies are contraindicated in acute stroke, leaving few safe treatment options.  Interventional procedures have the potential to provide meaningful relief for APSH. Occipital nerve block (ONB) with lidocaine is an established abortive therapy for migraine, and [the researchers] hypothesize that it may represent a feasible approach for APSH.
  • Conclusion: ONB with lidocaine was associated with statistically significant reductions in APSH pain, improvement in associated symptoms, and decreased need for rescue medication. These findings support ONB as a feasible, well-tolerated intervention for APSH in the inpatient setting and underscore this study’s potential to establish its effectiveness.

Patient-reported Outcomes Through 12-weeks of Double-blind Rimegepant Treatment for the Prevention of Episodic Migraine in Adults with Prior Inadequate Response to Oral Preventatives

  • Description: A recent multinational, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of rimegepant 75 mg orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) taken once every other day (EOD) in participants with episodic migraine and a documented prior inadequate response to two to four categories of non-migraine specific oral preventive medications.
  • Conclusion: Rimegepant 75 mg ODT EOD is associated with reductions in disease burden when taken for the prevention of episodic migraine for 12 weeks in participants with documented prior inadequate response to two to four categories of non-migraine specific oral preventive medications.

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