Study: Migranes may be mini-strokes, cause brain damage

[Velvet Elvis]

http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/...e-brain-damage/

A migraine is an episodic, intense and debilitating headache characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head, which is often accompanied by nausea or vomiting. The condition is very common, affecting 1 in 4 women and 1 in 12 men (that is, between 12-28% of the population), but its cause remains unknown. One theory is that migraines are caused by rapid constriction and dilation of the blood vessels in the brain. Another hypothesis is that migraine is caused by cortical spreading depression (CSD), a wave of nerve cell inhibition that propagates itself across neural tissue; CSD has also been implicated in stroke and other types of brain trauma.

A new study by researchers form the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, published online in Nature Neuroscience, shows that the damage to neural tissue that occurs during a migraine episode is exactly the same as the damage that occurs in a transient ischaemic attack, a minor stroke in which blood flow to parts of the brain is temporarily interrupted. The study povides evidence that migraines act like transient mini-strokes - they starve parts of the brain of oxygen, leading eventually to damage of those parts.

[LunaRufina]

Isn't that only applicable if migraines are, in fact, cause by CSD?

Or did I read the article wrong?

I've heard certain types of migraines compared to "mini-strokes" before. But not necessarily because of CSD being the cause. It has been non-specific.

Some of them can mimic strokes. Which makes me wonder how it doesn't cause some sort of damage if it is presenting all of the same symptoms and does so in the same way. The [stroke-like] effects aren't permanent, but I would think there is some kind of lasting effect somehow.

Anyway. Yeah. Mini-strokes.

[Millie_O]

This makes perfect sense to me. About a year ago I had the worst migraine of my life. I thought it was a stroke, as did the people in the ER, but received a diagnosis of migraine. I definitely noticed a cognitive change afterwards. I blamed it on the meds and stopped taking them but still, the cognitive issues remained. Very interesting to see this article. Thanks VE.

millieo

[resonance]

agggh!! I'm still having 1-2 a week. Have been on so many different meds.

[firedancer]

when the original neuro did my mri, it showed what he called a 'stroke spot', other than that, it was clear. he said it was most likely caused by a previous migraine. so maybe.

[Guest Guest_Nyx_*]

I suffer a stroke every month? Excellent.

[HaloGirl66]

well that is disturbing.

[Sunshine]

My b/f, who would get a migraine every day if not on a dozen medications (and even still gets them at least once or twice a week) has had several MRIs that all show brain lesions (damaged brain tissue). They've never been able to tell him if the lesions cause the headaches or the headaches caused the lesions, though.

[misscat]

This is scary indeed. I only get occasional migranes but last year I was getting 3 a WEEK. I definatlely noticed some cognitive impairment that took a while to go away.

Miss C.