In the present study, we investigated how pain perception by migraine (MG) patients may differ from that of normal subjects. We simultaneously measured respiration and used an electroencephalogram to find inspiration-related (I-α) potentials during pain stimuli, which are usually observed in normal subjects during emotional arousal. There were no differences in pain threshold levels, maximum pain levels, scales of the level of pain, state, and trait anxiety, or respiratory rate during rest and stimulation between normal and MG subjects. When anticipating a pain stimulus, respiratory rate increased in both MG and normal subjects. However, I-α potentials were only found in normal subjects. We suggest that the absence of I-α potentials in MG patients may be due to the fact that pain-induced pervasive cortical excitability may not be sufficient to concentrate the brain rhythms to phase-lock. Hypersensitivity towards light, sound, and various sensations is often reported in MG. Thus, there may be a tendency in MG subjects to avoid concentrating on one external stimulus to protect against increased hypersensitivity. It may be that MG patients intuitively know that decentralizing their attention can avoid triggering an MG attack.