Recent studies show that migraine is associated with a change in communication (excitation) of cells in the brain compared to those individuals without migraine. However, why and how a migraine headache starts remains a mystery. We do know that once a migraine starts, there is activation of the pain fibers around the tissue (dura) that surrounds the outside of the brain. We also know that there is clear activation of the trigeminal nerve , and is responsible for relaying pain information from the head and face, to the brainstem region. From the brainstem, pain information travels to the higher brains centers such as the thalamus then on up to the cortex.
Currently, there is no cure for migraine. Treatments are aimed at reducing headache frequency and stopping individual headaches when they occur. Some of these therapies used to stop the pain can be overused or abused, leading to further deterioration of their headache condition. Prophylactic treatments reduce headache frequency by approximately 1/2 in only about 40% of patients who take these medications. Many of these medications are associated with side effects, which limits their use. Because of these limitations regarding headache treatments, ongoing research is needed to further understand the biology and genetics behind the disease so treatments can be specifically targeted to treat each patient’s headache condition. Additional funding is also needed to further explore new therapeutic options that may work in patients who do not respond or cannot take currently available migraine medications
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