Migraine
Description of Migraine:
Migraine is a neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily
perceptions, headaches, and nausea. Physiologically, the migraine headache is a
neurological condition more common to women than to men. Etymologically, the
French word migraine derives from the Greek hemicrania (half skull) and the Old
English megrim (severe headache).
The typical migraine headache is unilateral and pulsating, lasting from 4 to
72 hours; symptoms include nausea, vomiting, photophobia (increased sensitivity
to bright light), and hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to noise);
approximately one third of people who suffer migraine headache perceive an aura
— visual, olfactory — announcing the headache.
Initial treatment is with analgesics for the head-ache, an anti-emetic for
the nausea, and the avoidance of triggering conditions. The cause of migraine
headache is unknown; the accepted theory is a disorder of the serotonergic
control system, as PET scan has demonstrated the aura coincides with diffusion
of cortical depression consequent to increased blood flow (up to 300% greater
than baseline). There are migraine headache variants, some originate in the
brainstem (featuring intercellular transport dysfunction of calcium and
potassium ions) and some are genetically disposed. Studies of twins indicate a
60 to 65 per cent genetic influence upon their developing propensity to migraine
headache. Moreover, fluctuating hormone levels indicate a migraine relation: 75
percent of adult patients are women, although migraine affects approximately
equal numbers of prepubescent boys and girls; propensity to migraine headache is
known to disappear during pregnancy.
Specific Migraine Information
Articles, questions and answers.
