The origin of migraine headaches explained by science

Migraine, a severe and often disabling headache, remains shrouded in mystery, both as to its causes and mechanisms.

How is pain transmitted?

One of the causes of migraine headaches is related to the calcitonin gene-related peptide (PRGC), which is short chain amino acids It is involved in the transmission of pain during migraine attacks.

Although treatments targeting PRGCs are already available, their effectiveness remains debated. PRGCs may obstruct the drainage of cerebrospinal fluid, leading to pressure and pain, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of North Carolina, published in May in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Cerebrospinal fluid, which bathes the brain, circulates through the nervous system via the meningeal lymphatic vessels. These vessels transport fluids as well as immune cells.

PRGC transmits pain between neurons and prevents discharge.

This study reveals the importance of the brain lymphatic system in the pathophysiology of migraine pain, according to Kathleen M. Caron, a cell biologist and physiologist at the University of North Carolina. Tests in mice showed that PRGC, which is abundant in brain tissue during migraines, transmits pain between neurons and prevents lymphatic fluid from draining. thus creating increased pressure..

The mice were genetically modified by the researchers so that they no longer had the lymphocyte PRGC receptors. They then Showed decreased sensitivity to migraine pain. Compared to those that have not been modified.

The exact triggers for this failure

By injecting PRGC directly into the cerebrospinal fluid reservoir, they observed that the pores of the meningeal lymphatic vessels closed, preventing fluid drainage and confirming their hypothesis.

Although the PRGC plays a crucial role in migraine, the exact causes of this system’s failure remain unknown. However, this study confirms the efficacy of treatments targeting the PRGC and opens the way for new research in this area. The findings may also explain why Women are three times more likely to suffer from migraines. Men are more prone to lymphatic system disorders.