2-Minute Neuroscience: Migraine

Migraine is a chronic neurological condition involving repeated headaches as well as a variety of other symptoms. In this video, I discuss the neurological mechanisms thought to underlie migraine.

TRANSCRIPT:

Migraine is a chronic neurological condition involving repeated headaches that are frequently severe and are accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and an increased sensitivity to light or sound. Migraine headaches are often throbbing, experienced on one side of the head, and worsened by movement or physical activity. About ⅓ of migraine sufferers experience a migraine aura, which consists of neurological symptoms such as visual disturbances that occur before or during the onset of pain.

The headache phase of a migraine is thought to be attributable to activation of the trigeminal nerve, a cranial nerve that acts as the main sensory nerve for the head. The trigeminal nerve supplies a variety of pain-sensitive structures, including the eye, dura mater, and various blood vessels. Activation of the trigeminal nerve can elicit pain in these structures, which might explain the characteristic head and eye pain of migraine. Activation of the trigeminal nerve also prompts the release of neurotransmitters that can dilate cranial blood vessels and further stimulate and sensitize pain receptors. Additionally, trigeminal nerve fibers synapse on neurons that project to various brain regions, and these connections might be responsible for eliciting other common symptoms, such as auditory, visual, emotional, and cognitive effects.

People who experience migraines may undergo neurological changes that increase sensitivity to migraine triggers, but it’s still not completely clear what causes a migraine attack to begin. Migraine aura has been linked to a spreading abnormality in the electrical activity in the brain known as cortical spreading depression, which prompts other alterations in brain activity and is linked to the activation of the trigeminal system. This spreading depression has been suggested as a mechanism for the initiation of migraine without aura as well, although there is no consensus on this point, and other mechanisms that lead to trigeminal nerve stimulation may be involved.

REFERENCES:

Dodick DW. Migraine. Lancet. 2018 Mar 31;391(10127):1315-1330. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30478-1. Epub 2018 Mar 6. PMID: 29523342.

Ferrari MD, Goadsby PJ, Burstein R, Kurth T, Ayata C, Charles A, Ashina M, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Dodick DW. Migraine. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2022 Jan 13;8(1):2. doi: 10.1038/s41572-021-00328-4. PMID: 35027572.

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Farmers when the hail storm hits: oh no mygrain

[vikashchaitram]

Another great video. I really love all the explanations about the various different neurological conditions( especially the rare ones) but I must say I appreciate this video about a common condition that is surprisingly ignored and misunderstood a lot. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[joannat]

The irony is the brain does not feel pain. That is why neurosurgeons can operate when a person is awake.

[Big_CJ]

Soon as the aura hits, take your pain killers (I take 3 paracetamol) The earlier in the aura stage you can take the painkillers, the better the pain relief 👍🏼 My triggers are onions and certain toothpastes 🙄

[KK-dcqk]

I have TN2 trigeminal neuralgia atypical, I get migraines yet rarely thank goodness 😔

[tonyhinrichs]

Are symptoms such as head and facial numbness and blurry and double vision symptoms of migraine or could it be something else? Is getting a head CT or head MRI the only real way to see if there is something wrong inside the skull such as a tumor or abscess or a problem with or from a previous skull fracture?

[dylanmcvicker]

I woke up with a moderately severe migraine last night puking and couldn't see real well out of my left eye (aura) it was horrible I was up all night

[aamirrazak]

Thank you for explaining such a painful yet somewhat common issue. Could dehydration/low blood volume be a trigger for migraine or migraine-like headaches? I knew someone who experienced something that was classified as a migraine while dehyrated

[blobofdespair]

The pain phase of my migraines always starts in the back of my neck. Is this referred pain?

[gnarlyDUCK]

What causes a migraine to begin. Personally, I have a few theories. Stressors relating to past physical trauma, caffeine/sugar relation-withdraw, or a type of healing process not yet understood.
I say a lot of that because I have had a history of migraines up til the later half of my life, im not even 40. But as a child/teen I suffered from migraines pretty regularly til my late 20s. My only changes have been caffiene/sugar restrictive and not near abusive people.

[teddymom]

Need to differentiate between chronic and episodic migraine - two separate animals. Chronic Migraine is a complex neurological disease, NOT a headache. The headache is only one phase in any case, and we need to stop calling this neurological issue a "headache." It engenders ableism and jokes and marginalizing those of us who have migraine 5-7 days a week.

[margueriteoreilly]

Omg ...Global alter
Who's in the Club
Belfast Ireland 🇮🇪 😎