Migraine Aura Serene Branson Medical Condition

Remember the local CBS reporter Serene Branson who was reported earlier to have suffered stroke while reporting live on TV during the Grammys? Her medical condition has now been diagnosed and doctors said it was not stroke but migraine aura. This type of migraine can mimic symptoms of a stroke.

“A migraine is not just a headache. It’s a complicated brain event,” said UCLA neurologist Dr. Andrew Charles, who examined Branson.

The most common sensations include seeing flashes of light or zigzag patterns. In Branson’s case, she felt numbness on the right side of her face that affected her speech, Charles said.

“She was actually having the headache while she was having these other symptoms,” he said.

Branson told doctors she has had migraines since a child but never suffered an episode like this before, Charles said.