Disorder resulting in recurrent moderate–severe headaches
Medical condition
Migraine Woman during a migraine attack Specialty Neurology Symptoms Headaches coupled with sensory disturbances such as nausea , sensitivity to light , sound , and smell Usual onset Around puberty Duration Recurrent, long term Causes Environmental and genetic Risk factors Family history , female sex Differential diagnosis Subarachnoid hemorrhage , venous thrombosis , idiopathic intracranial hypertension , brain tumor , tension headache , sinusitis , cluster headache Prevention Propranolol , amitriptyline , topiramate ,Calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists (CGRPs)Medication Ibuprofen , paracetamol (acetaminophen), triptans , ergotamines Prevalence ~15%
Migraine (, )[ 1] [ 2] is a genetically-influenced complex neurological disorder characterized by episodes of moderate-to-severe headache , most often unilateral and generally associated with nausea and light and sound sensitivity .[ 3] [ 4] Other characterizing symptoms may include vomiting , cognitive dysfunction , allodynia , and dizziness .[ 3] Exacerbation or worsening of headache symptoms during physical activity is another distinguishing feature.[ 5]
Up to one-third of people with migraine experience aura , a premonitory period of sensory disturbance widely accepted to be caused by cortical spreading depression at the onset of a migraine attack.[ 4] Although primarily considered to be a headache disorder, migraine is highly heterogenous in its clinical presentation and is better thought of as a spectrum disease rather than a distinct clinical entity.[ 6] Disease burden can range from episodic discrete attacks to chronic disease.[ 6] [ 7]
Migraine is believed to be caused by a mixture of environmental and genetic factors that influence the excitation and inhibition of nerve cells in the brain.[ 8] An incomplete "vascular hypothesis" postulated that the aura of migraine is produced by vasoconstriction and the headache of migraine is produced by vasodilation . However, the vasoconstrictive mechanism has been disproven,[ 9] and the role of vasodilation in migraine pathophysiology is uncertain.[ 10] [ 11] The accepted hypothesis suggests that multiple primary neuronal impairments lead to a series of intracranial and extracranial changes, triggering a physiological cascade that leads to migraine symptomatology.[ 12]
Initial recommended treatment for acute attacks is with over-the-counter analgesics (pain medication) such as ibuprofen and paracetamol (acetaminophen) for headache, antiemetics (anti-nausea medication) for nausea, and the avoidance of migraine triggers.[ 13] Specific medications such as triptans , ergotamines , or calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist (CGRP) inhibitors may be used in those experiencing headaches that do not respond to the over-the-counter pain medications.[ 14] For people who experience four or more attacks per month, or could otherwise benefit from prevention, prophylactic medication is recommended.[ 15] Commonly prescribed prophylactic medications include beta blockers like propranolol , anticonvulsants like sodium valproate , antidepressants like amitriptyline , and other off-label classes of medications.[ 16] Preventive medications inhibit migraine pathophysiology through various mechanisms, such as blocking calcium and sodium channels , blocking gap junctions , and inhibiting matrix metalloproteinases , among other mechanisms.[ 17] [ 18] Non-pharmacological preventive therapies include nutritional supplementation, dietary interventions, sleep improvement, and aerobic exercise.[ 19] In 2018, the first medication (Erenumab ) of a new class of drugs specifically designed for migraine prevention called calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists (CGRPs) was approved by the FDA .[ 20] As of July 2023, the FDA has approved eight drugs that act on the CGRP system for use in the treatment of migraine.[ 21]
Globally, approximately 15% of people are affected by migraine.[ 22] In the Global Burden of Disease Study , conducted in 2010, migraine ranked as the third-most prevalent disorder in the world.[ 23] It most often starts at puberty and is worst during middle age.[ 24] As of 2016[update] , it is one of the most common causes of disability .[ 25]
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^ a b Pescador Ruschel MA, De Jesus O (2024). "Migraine Headache" . StatPearls . Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 32809622 . Retrieved 13 September 2024 .
^ a b "Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS) The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition" . Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache . 38 (1): 1–211. January 2018. doi :10.1177/0333102417738202 . ISSN 1468-2982 . PMID 29368949 .
^ Martins IP, Gouveia RG, Parreira E (June 2006). "Kinesiophobia in migraine". The Journal of Pain . 7 (6): 445–451. doi :10.1016/j.jpain.2006.01.449 . PMID 16750801 .
^ a b Katsarava Z, Buse DC, Manack AN, Lipton RB (February 2012). "Defining the differences between episodic migraine and chronic migraine" . Current Pain and Headache Reports . 16 (1): 86–92. doi :10.1007/s11916-011-0233-z . PMC 3258393 . PMID 22083262 .
^ Shankar Kikkeri N, Nagalli S (December 2022). "Migraine With Aura" . StatPearls Publishing. PMID 32119498 . Bookshelf ID: NBK554611. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023 .
^ Piane M, Lulli P, Farinelli I, Simeoni S, De Filippis S, Patacchioli FR, et al. (December 2007). "Genetics of migraine and pharmacogenomics: some considerations" . The Journal of Headache and Pain . 8 (6): 334–339. doi :10.1007/s10194-007-0427-2 . PMC 2779399 . PMID 18058067 .
^ Amin FM, Asghar MS, Hougaard A, Hansen AE, Larsen VA, de Koning PJ, et al. (May 2013). "Magnetic resonance angiography of intracranial and extracranial arteries in patients with spontaneous migraine without aura: a cross-sectional study" . The Lancet. Neurology . 12 (5): 454–461. doi :10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70067-X . PMID 23578775 . S2CID 25553357 . Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023 .
^ Mason BN, Russo AF (2018). "Vascular Contributions to Migraine: Time to Revisit?" . Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience . 12 : 233. doi :10.3389/fncel.2018.00233 . PMC 6088188 . PMID 30127722 .
^ Jacobs B, Dussor G (December 2016). "Neurovascular contributions to migraine: Moving beyond vasodilation" . Neuroscience . 338 : 130–144. doi :10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.06.012 . PMC 5083225 . PMID 27312704 .
^ Burstein R, Noseda R, Borsook D (April 2015). "Migraine: multiple processes, complex pathophysiology" . The Journal of Neuroscience . 35 (17): 6619–6629. doi :10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0373-15.2015 . PMC 4412887 . PMID 25926442 .
^ Gilmore B, Michael M (February 2011). "Treatment of acute migraine headache". American Family Physician . 83 (3): 271–280. PMID 21302868 .
^ Tzankova V, Becker WJ, Chan TL (January 2023). "Diagnosis and acute management of migraine" . CMAJ . 195 (4): E153–E158. doi :10.1503/cmaj.211969 . PMC 9888545 . PMID 36717129 . Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023 .
^ Silberstein SD (August 2015). "Preventive Migraine Treatment" . Continuum . 21 (4 Headache): 973–989. doi :10.1212/CON.0000000000000199 . PMC 4640499 . PMID 26252585 . Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023 .
^ Kumar A, Kadian R (September 2022). "Migraine Prophylaxis" . StatPearls Publishing. PMID 29939650 . Bookshelf ID: NBK507873. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023 .
^ Noseda R, Burstein R (December 2013). "Migraine pathophysiology: anatomy of the trigeminovascular pathway and associated neurological symptoms, CSD, sensitization and modulation of pain" . Pain . 154 (Suppl 1): S44–S53. doi :10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.021 . PMC 3858400 . PMID 24347803 .
^ Spierings EL (July 2001). "Mechanism of migraine and action of antimigraine medications" . The Medical Clinics of North America . 85 (4): 943–958, vi–vii. doi :10.1016/s0025-7125(05)70352-7 . PMID 11480266 . Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023 .
^ Haghdoost F, Togha M (1 January 2022). "Migraine management: Non-pharmacological points for patients and health care professionals" . Open Medicine . 17 (1): 1869–1882. doi :10.1515/med-2022-0598 . PMC 9691984 . PMID 36475060 .
^ Office of the Commissioner (24 March 2020). "FDA approves novel preventive treatment for migraine" . FDA . Retrieved 13 September 2024 .
^ Rashid A, Manghi A (2024). "Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Receptor" . StatPearls . Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 32809483 . Retrieved 13 September 2024 .
^ Vos T, Flaxman AD, Naghavi M, Lozano R, Michaud C, Ezzati M, et al. (December 2012). "Years lived with disability (YLDs) for 1160 sequelae of 289 diseases and injuries 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010" . Lancet . 380 (9859): 2163–96. doi :10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61729-2 . PMC 6350784 . PMID 23245607 .
^ Gobel H. "1. Migraine" . ICHD-3 The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition . Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020 .
^ "Headache disorders Fact sheet N°277" . October 2012. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016 .
^ Vos T, Abajobir AA, Abate KH, Abbafati C, Abbas KM, Abd-Allah F, et al. (GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators) (September 2017). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016" . Lancet . 390 (10100): 1211–1259. doi :10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32154-2 . PMC 5605509 . PMID 28919117 .