Scents, Chemicals & the Migraine Brain
Key Questions
- What are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and how do they relate to odors and the trigeminal nerve system in people with migraine disease?
- Do VOCs need to have an odor to be a trigger or cause problems for people with migraine disease?
- What steps can be taken to mitigate the high concentration of VOCs and chemical compounds released from new items like furniture or flooring?
- How does osmophobia (smell sensitivity) during an attack differ from an odor acting as a direct migraine trigger?
- What were the unexpected research findings regarding olfactory function in people with migraine disease and osmophobia?
- What strategy is advised to help people with migraine disease avoid losing their ability to smell while still managing potentially triggering odors?
- Do studies show that having migraine with aura affects sensitivity to smells differently than having migraine without aura?
- What types of protections or accommodations could be sought in the workplace for people who are highly sensitive to VOCs and chemical smells?
Interview Notes
- Facebook: Die Deutsche Migräne- und Kopfschmerzgesellschaft e.V
- Instagram: attacke-kopfschmerzen.de
- LinkedIn: Prof. Dr. Gudrun Goßrau
- Study: “Interictal osmophobia is associated with longer migraine disease duration”
- Study: “May headache triggered by odors be regarded as a differentiating factor between migraine and other primary headaches?”
- Article: “Olfactory and trigeminal systems interact in the periphery”
- Study: “Odorant substances that trigger headaches in migraine patients”
- Study: “Olfactory training reduces pain sensitivity in children and adolescents with primary headaches”
- Study: “Olfactory bulb atrophy in migraine patients”
- Study: “Olfactory stimulation inhibits nociceptive signal processing at the input stage of the central trigeminal system”
- Study: “Migraine with aura: Less control over pain and fragrances?”
- Study: “Examination of the sense of smell”
- Study: “Olfactory bulbus volume and olfactory sulcus depth in migraine patients: an MRI evaluation”
- Website: Attack! Together Against Headache and Migraine campaign
For Additional Links and Resources, click here.
Disclaimer: The Migraine World Summit aims to bring you a variety of perspectives and expertise, free from bias or judgment. Alternative theories presented in this video have not been medically reviewed. Views expressed in this interview do not necessarily represent the views of the Migraine World Summit. Please always consult your health care professional and do your own research before making changes to your treatment plan.
Gudrun Gossrau, MD
Professor of Neurology, Headache and Pain Specialist
Technische Universität Dresden TUD
Gudrun Gossrau, MD, is a professor at the Technische Universität (TU) Dresden and consultant neurologist at its University Hospital, where she directs the Headache Center and serves as vice head of the Interdisciplinary University Pain Center.
She studied medicine at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the University of Ottawa, the University of Western Ontario, and TU Dresden. Since 2014, she has built and led the Headache Center Dresden, establishing it as a leading institution for translational headache research and patient care. Her research focuses on sensory mechanisms in migraine, olfactory influences on pain perception, sex differences in headache disorders, and pediatric headache. For children and adolescents, she founded a pioneering interdisciplinary, multimodal headache therapy program.
Professor Gossrau has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on headache and pain. She is general secretary of the German Migraine and Headache Society, member of the Annual Program Committee of the German Pain Congress, and serves on the Steering Committee of the German Headache Registry. Her innovative contributions to headache therapy have earned her several distinctions, including the Brand Prize for Innovative Headache Therapy and the MSD Health Award Germany 2024.
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Migraine & Headache Australia is the only organization in Australia that has supported the more than 5 million Australians affected by headache and migraine for 20 years. Migraine & Headache Australia is a division of the Brain Foundation.
Migraine doesn't have to derail your career. Nearly every workplace in the country is impacted by migraine disease through absenteeism and presenteeism. Despite the prevalence of the disease, there is a lack of education and awareness around it. In the workplace, this often leads to unintended stigma and bias against employees living with migraine disease. Visit our website to learn more about programs available for both employees and employers.
