Migraine

Question 1

What are the four phases of a migraine?

Answer 1

1) Prodromal symptoms
2) Neurological aura symptoms
3) Vascular headache
4) Postdromal symptoms

Question 2

What is cortical spreading depression?

Answer 2

A wave of intense cortical neuron activity (up rCBF) followed by neuronal suppression (down rCBF).
Suppression often coincides with headache onset

Question 3

What peptide is strongly related to migraines?

Answer 3

Calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP).
The release of this peptide can trigger an acute migraine attack.

Question 4

How is migraine treated?

Answer 4

1) Avoidance of triggering factors
2) Acute medications
3) Preventative medications
4) Non pharmaceutical treatments (acupuncture, neurostimulations etc.)

Question 5

When are preventative drugs used in migraine treatment?

Answer 5

In patients that have severe attacks more than three times per month