Lecture 15: Migraine

Question 1

Duration

Answer 1

4hr - 3days

Question 2

Location

Answer 2

• Usually one side

Question 3

Symptoms

Answer 3

• aura
• nausea, vomiting
• sensitive to light, sound, smells

Question 4

Triggers

Answer 4

• Food
• Food additives
• sleep: too much or too little
• stress
• female hormones

Question 5

Migraine Aura

Answer 5

• Excitatory neurological disturbance
• Typically grows over 20 mins
• Usually visual

Question 6

Theories for Pathogenesis of Aura

Answer 6

1. vascular theory: cerebral vasoconstriction, headache results from subsequent rebound vasodilation
2. neurogenic theory: cortical spreading depression of electrical activity followed by vascular phenomena
3. Neurogenic inflammation

Question 7

cortical spreading depression

Answer 7

• a wave of intense electrical activity spread across the surface of the brain
• after it passes, it leaves an area of exhausted nerve cells with depressed electrical activity and depleted mitochondria