migraines and research

I've suffered from migraines since I was around 12. I rarely get the visual affects like auras but I sure do get plenty of pain. While I can be induced by loud sounds and some foods, most of the time my migraines are induced by sinus headaches. The sinus headaches don't usually induce a migraine but the longer the sinus head goes on, the greater the chance I'll get a migraine.

Fortunately mine are treatable and I usually use Midrin. It's really amazing how well drugs like that work. It's not that they treat the pain--they prevent the migraine from happening. Most people with migraines have a little warning that one is going to hit--typically for me it's 30-45 minutes--and if you take meds for it in that window the migraine just doesn't happen. It's like magic!


Study: Migraines may help memory loss

WASHINGTON, April 24 (UPI) -- A U.S. study finds that people who suffer from migraine headaches appear to have less loss of cognitive function as they age than those who do not.

The researchers tracked 1,448 people, including 204 with migraines, for a period of 12 years, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. They were given cognitive tests periodically.

The migraine sufferers started out with slightly lower cognitive function but lost less. The effect was most pronounced in people who had migraines with aura -- advance warning that a migraine is coming.

Amanda Kalaydjian, a researcher with the National Institute of Mental Health and lead author of an article in the journal Neurology, said the research team was surprised by the results. She said it is possible migraine sufferers benefit from taking better care of themselves by getting more sleep and eating better, or that medication they take helps them retain cognitive function.

But the researchers wrote that the cause is more likely to be biologic.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.


And in an interesting coincidence, migraines seem to be related to RAMP1 which is a peptide that we've found to be related to breast cancer. It's the next peptide that I'm testing for bioactivity. I think it was upregulated something like 4 fold in our samples. And now I find out it's got a role in migraines as well. Damn that RAMP1.


Researchers look at migraines

IOWA CITY, Iowa, March 9 (UPI) -- Iowa researchers may have found out why some people get migraine headaches and others do not.

Too much of a small protein call RAMP1 appears to "turn up the volume" of a nerve cell receptor's response to a neuropeptide thought to cause migraines, the researchers said.

The neuropeptide -- CGRP, or calcitonin gene-related peptide -- has been shown to play an important role in migraines.

"We have shown that this RAMP protein is a key regulator for the action of CGRP," said Andrew Russo, professor of molecular physiology and biophysics at Iowa. "Our study suggests that people who get migraines may have higher levels of RAMP1 than people who don't get migraines."

The study findings are published in the March 7 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.


Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

Comments

sage said…
I started out thinking as I was reading that Im glad I don't get a migrain every time I have sinus issues, but then saw the so called benefits... Here from Michele's
rosemary said…
My husband has migranes...I'll have him read your post. I "ramped" up on all of your posts...loved the jokes.
kenju said…
I have never had a headache that I could say was a migraine, thank Heaven. But maybe not.....LOL
Anonymous said…
Damn the luck.. So because I suffer horrible migraines that leave me sick for days.. I should be good as i age for memory.. LOL
Craver said…
Utenzi, I'm a long time migraine sufferer too. No fun. Mine started short but severe, then morphed into long (one lasted 9 days) but slightly more manageable. They tried every drug on the market and nothing helped me. Accupuncture did help - probably saved me more than once from jumping out the fourth story window.
I can'timagine ever being grateful for these suckers, despite the 'up-side'.
srp said…
I noticed it said that migraine suffers started out with lower cognitive function but lost less. What if Einstein suffered with migraines? I don't think he started out with less cognitive function at all, although all that time and space relativity is enough to give you a migraine.

Now my head hurts.... I don't suffer with migraines although I had a sinus headache to end all sinus headaches in med school and it was a sit in the dark and don't move type of headache that I never, ever want to have again. I'd rather have two C-sections and a hysterectomy before having another one of those.
rennratt said…
I suffer from cluster headaches, which are sometimes mistaken for migraines. The right side of my face 'freezes', and it looks like I have had a stroke.

I lose sight in my right eye, and hearing in my right ear. But only while I have the headache.

I was on Fiorinal-APAP (non codeine/with barbituate) from ages 14-21, and was able to 'ward off' the headaches when I felt them coming on.

I have lost 5 women in my immediate family to breast cancer (with one current survivor). I would be interested to know if Cluster Headaches are considered in the mix for the study you mentioned.

I ALSO suffer from horrible allergies/sinus headaches. The pressure from the sinus allergies is NOTHING compared to the clusters.
Noi Rocker said…
Oh no..I have been having migraiens all my life until about 4 years ago when I started taking supplements particularyly vitamin bio c.

I used to feel like my head was gonna explode...everyday! Thanks to good healthy diet and good quality vitamins, I am saved..phew..

You should try too okie;)
Liz said…
Very interesting that you posted this. I get sinus headaches AND migraines, and I had BOTH Friday night. I hadn't had a migraine in quite some time and I found the pain hard to bear, even though I know I have had worse. Lack of pain makes me a wuss.

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