Does research show that the migraine brain is actually different?
Description
Research has shown that there is something different in the migraine brain in glutamate metabolism that causes the migraine brain to be hyper-excitable. There are also genes in those with migraine that are modified causing the wiring of the migraine brain to be different.
Transcript
“And what have the studies taught us when we look at the whole map? More or less things that we already kind of knew. They are telling us that the brain is hyper-excitable because glutamate, which is the neurotransmitter that fires neurons … is very present. So there's something different in the glutamate metabolism.
“They're telling us that the axon wiring … so this is like how the brain is really wired from the beginning … is different because genes that modulate this growth of the circuits are also changed in migraine. So we have that, and they're telling us also that the axon plaques and neurons, they have to communicate within themselves through little communications that we call synapses. So the things that determine the synapse, how they work, are also different genetically. I mean, the genes that modulate this transmission are also different in migraine.”
Discussion
Migraine research has shown that there are several differences in the migraine brain versus an individual’s brain who does not have migraine. One difference is that the migraine brain carries out glutamate metabolism in a different way that causes the migraine brain to be hyper-excitable. There are also genes in those with migraine that are modified, either from inheritance or from the environment, that cause the wiring of the migraine brain to be different.
This is a short segment of a full video interview. View the full version by upgrading to an Access Pass bundle! Get FREE access to 8 expert interviews from Day 1 and Day 2 when you register today!
Patricia Pozo-Rosich, MD, PhD
Head of the Neurology Department
Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and Institute of Research
Patricia Pozo-Rosich, MD, PhD, is a neurologist and one of Europe’s leading migraine experts. She leads the Neurology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona and directs the Migraine Adaptive Brain Center, a national reference center focused on advancing migraine research and care. She also heads the Headache Research Laboratory at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) and serves as president-elect of the International Headache Society.
Dr. Pozo-Rosich is deeply committed to helping people understand migraine as a complex neurological disorder and improving access to effective treatment. She founded the Spanish-language education site MiDolordeCabeza.org and has authored more than 250 scientific publications. Her work has received multiple national awards, and she serves as associate editor for leading headache journals. She has been principal investigator in more than 100 clinical trials and is an active member of international headache genetics consortiums.
Interviews from Patricia Pozo-Rosich, MD, PhD
European Headache Treatment Update
Navigating COVID with Migraine in Europe
How Pain Works in the Migraine Brain
How to Get the Most from Your Doctor
Solving the Puzzle of What’s Causing Migraines
