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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
10:39
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
Refractory migraine and chronic migraine: pathophysiological mechanisms
Peter J Goadsby1, Richard Hargreaves
1Headache Group, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Headache
|June 14, 2008
Summary
Migraine is a complex brain disorder with unclear mechanisms, impacting many and causing disability. Further research is needed to understand the biology of difficult-to-treat migraine cases.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Medical Research
Background:
- Migraine is a prevalent and disabling neurological disorder.
- Its underlying brain mechanisms remain incompletely understood.
- Economic costs associated with migraine are substantial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the complex nature of migraine.
- To investigate potential contributing factors such as genetics and brainstem involvement.
- To address the challenges in understanding treatment-refractory migraine.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing data and brain imaging findings.
- Analysis of headache frequency patterns.
- Exploration of genetic contributions to migraine.
Main Results:
- Brain imaging suggests a role for the brainstem in migraine.
- Frequent headaches often predict future increases in headache frequency.
- No clear structural or pharmacological explanations are evident from current data.
Conclusions:
- Migraine mechanisms are complex and require further elucidation.
- Understanding the biology of patients with frequent and disabling migraine is a critical future challenge.
- Genetic factors likely play a role, but their contribution to treatment resistance needs more investigation.
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