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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Investigating Migraine-Like Behavior Using Light Aversion in Mice
Published on: August 11, 2021
GABAergic drugs for the treatment of migraine
1Department of Neurology, Cologne City Hospitals, University of Cologne, Germany.
Abstract:
Within the last decades significant progress has been made in the understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of migraine. There is a general agreement now that migraine is not only a vascular phenomenon but also a genetically determined heterogenic ion-channelopathy resulting in cortical-spreading-depression-like events, the temporary impairment of antinociceptive structures of the brainstem and the activation of the trigeminal-vascular system. The development and use of drugs targeting ion-channels and subsequently reducing cortical excitability appears as a promising avenue for both the acute treatment of migraine and migraine prevention. This review summarizes the current knowledge and evidence for GABAergic drugs in the treatment of migraine.
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