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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. A precordial migraine is one in which _________ pain is the only symptom of the migraine attack, according to Sacks.

2. The central symptoms of a migraine are described as disorders of ________ in this book.

3. Changes in the sensory __________ are another possible part of the aural symptoms, according to Sacks.

4. There are some patients that obviously suffer from periodical or causal attacks but that the larger group will defy easy _____________.

5. But on the other hand, some feel that those who suffer from migraines might be ____________ to suffer from allergies and motion sickness.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do many migraine sufferers tend to rub one side of their head when they are in the midst of a migraine?

2. What sorts of migraine situations does Sacks say are rare and fairly uncommon in reference to visual hallucinations?

3. What is the meaning of aura, as Sacks uses the term in this section?

4. What does Sacks have to say about the tendency of migraines to be a part of one's life throughout the years?

5. What causes it to be difficult to determine the difference between migraines and epilepsy?

6. What is something that Sacks has never seen, but he has heard of in relation to the aura before a migraine?

7. What is the German physician's experience with migraines, according to the beginning of the book?

8. What do some researchers feel is not a cause of migraines as adults, according to Sacks' research?

9. What are some of the visual sensory hallucinations that migraine patients have seen in their experiences before migraines?

10. What can often be a secondary factor to the migraine pain, according to the author of this book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choosing treatments for migraines may be just as painful a process as the headaches.

Part 1: How do you think a migraine treatment be chosen?

Part 2: Why do you think migraines are so difficult to treat?

Part 3: How do you think a person might feel if they try a treatment and it doesn't work as they want it to?

Essay Topic 2

Sometimes, people come up with less than conventional treatments for their pain, as described in one of the case histories of a man who used snuff to precipitate sneezing, which would make him feel better.

Part 1: Do you think that unconventional treatments are still helpful?

Part 2: Why do you think some people seek out less than conventional treatments?

Part 3: How do you feel about people who don't use medically approved treatments?

Essay Topic 3

Sacks points out that the idea of a migraine can make a person feel disordered in their life.

Part 1: Do you think that migraines are disorders? Why or why not?

Part 2: How do you think a person's life is affected by migraine headaches?

Part 3: Why do you think disorder might not be an applicable descriptor for migraine sufferers?

(see the answer keys)

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