Dr. Sheehy - Migraine Headaches: Treatment and Prevention Flashcards
Explains what happens at each of the various migraine stages.
- Prodrome: 12-36 hours before the headache (yawning, depression, craving, distaste in their mouth)
- Aura: Period of no pain that normally lasts for 15-20 minutes (aka classic migraine)
- Headache: Where most of the pain occurs!
- Postdrome: Exhaustion and Fatigue
Which drugs can stop a migraine and on which phase of the migraine will these drugs act on?
Which drugs can be used to prevent a migraine from occuring? Which phase of the migraine do they work on?
Thobbing pain that is sensed during a headache occurs through which system?
Trigeminal Nervous System
Migraines are not caused by a primary vascular event. If this is the case, what does the current research believe is the cause?
Scientists think it’s due to a dysfunctional ion channel (within the aminergic brain-stem nuclei)
Put the following events in order as they relate to the Trigeminal Neurovascular System:
- Vasodilation causes release of presynaptic vesicles that contain Substance P and CGRP
- Cortical Spreading Depression
- Dysfunction of Ion Channel
- NO is going to be released from blood vessels in order to reverse the cerebral vasoconstriction
- Cerebral vasoconstriction
- CGRP and Substance P work together to produce painful dural inflammation
3 - 2 - 5 - 4 - 1 - 6
Who is responsible for sensing the pain during a migraine?
How will that pain present?
Meninges! (They are innervated by the Trigeminal Nerve)
Presents as throbbing unilateral migraine-like pain
Explain why you need to be careful when prescribing nitrates to patients that develop migraines.
Nitrates are composed of synthetic NO that is used for pts that experience chest pain. If you prescribe nitrates to a pt with migraines, you could potentiate the effect of the migraine due to the NO effects!
Serotonin has a shorthand marking of 5HT. Which subset of serotonin receptors are located in:
- Peripheral Neurons
- Cranial Vessels
- Central Neurons
- Peripheral Neurons: 5HT-1D
- Cranial Vessels (meninges): 5HT-1B
- Central Neurons: 5HT-1B/1D
When serotonin binds to its receptor, it is going to ____________ the release of CGRP into the synaptic cleft and that will _________ the pain stimulus.
Decrease
Inhibit
Triptans are drugs that act like _______ . Their function is to _________ the release of CGRP which will ________ the pain that is felt during a migraine.
Serotonin
Decrease
Inhibit
True or False: Triptans are antagonists on Serotonin Receptors.
FALSE
They are AGONISTS
Triptans can bind to _________ receptors on vascular smooth muscle and that will stimulate __________ of dilated meningeal, dural and pial blood vessels.
5HT-1B
Vasoconstriction
Triptans bind to ________ receptors on presynaptic nerve terminals and that will ________ presynaptic release of CGRP and other neuropeptides from the peripheral end of the trigeminal nerve.
5HT-1B
Inhibit
Triptans can bind to _________ receptors on the trigeminal nucleus in the brainstem and that will ________ upward transmission of painful sensory information to the thalamus and higher brain centers where pain is perceived.
5HT-1D
Inhibit
Which triptan has a Cmax PO (1-2 hours), Nasal Spray (30 mins), SC (15 mins); 1/2 life of 1-2 hours, metabolized by monoamine oxidase A; And has a similar structure to serotonin and melatonin?
Sumatriptan