Copeptin is a hypothalamic stress hormone that functions as a prognostic marker in numerous acute disease conditions. As observed from the study, the mean values of copeptin levels were not as reliable to be deemed suitable for the determination of diagnostic efficacy in 52 migraine patients under consideration.

This prospective case–control study focused to examine the clinical utility of copeptin to assess the migraine attacks in patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED). The changes in serum copeptin levels in patients with migraine during attack and without attack phases were also detected.

Fifty-two migraine patients and fifty-one healthy individuals with similar demographic characteristics were included. The blood samples were gathered from migraine patients during attack and without attack phases.

Mean copeptin levels of the patients in the attack and without attack periods were found to be 689.28 and 576.68 pg/ml, correspondingly, while these levels were 608.68 pg/ml in the control group. A significant difference was observed in the mean copeptin level in the attack phase and without attack phases (p = 0.026). Sensitivity and specificity of copeptin in identifying the headache episodes in patients with migraine were 58.8% and 60.7%, at a cut-off value of 388.67 pg/ml.

As concluded, the diagnostic efficacy of serum copeptin levels was found to be unacceptable for migranes, but it could be beneficial for the management of migraine patients in the ED.