Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 29, 2026
10:39
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
19.1K
Migraine and inhibitory system - I can't hold it!
Caterina Mainero1, Celine Louapre
1Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 Thirteenth Street, Suite 2301, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA, caterina@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.
Current Pain and Headache Reports
|May 15, 2014
Summary
Migraine attacks involve the trigeminovascular pathway, potentially due to cortical spreading depression and impaired pain control. Neuroimaging reveals an imbalance in pain modulation within brain structures during migraine.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Pain Research
Background:
- The precise mechanisms causing trigeminovascular pathway activation in migraines remain unclear.
- Cortical spreading depression and disrupted central pain control are implicated in migraine onset and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review neuroimaging studies on subcortical and cortical roles in migraine pain modulation.
- To understand the imbalance between pain inhibition and excitation in migraine.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent structural and functional neuroimaging studies.
- Analysis of studies investigating subcortical and cortical structures in migraine.
Main Results:
- Neuroimaging highlights the involvement of subcortical and cortical regions in migraine pathophysiology.
- Evidence suggests an imbalance in the central modulation of pain processing in migraine patients.
Conclusions:
- Dysfunctional central pain control and trigeminovascular pathway activation are key in migraines.
- Imbalances in inhibitory and excitatory pain modulation are characteristic of migraine disease.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters
12.1K
When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of...
12.1K
01:30Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
4.6K
Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
4.6K
01:22Pathophysiology of Vomiting
4.5K
Vomiting is a complex physiological response to expel harmful or irritating substances from the body. It's a defensive mechanism triggered by stimuli like poisons, microbial toxins, cytotoxic drugs, and mechanical abdominal distension. The process is centrally coordinated by the vomiting (or emetic) center located in the medulla of the brainstem. This area, rich in muscarinic M1, histamine H1, neurokinin 1 (NK1), and serotonin 5-HT3 receptors, coordinates the act of vomiting through...
4.5K
01:26Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action
3.5K
Neurochemical transmission, the conduction of electrical impulses between neurons mediated by neurotransmitters, plays a vital role in various physiological processes. Autonomic drugs exert their effects by modulating neurotransmission within the autonomic nervous system. For instance, drugs such as hemicholinium block the precursor uptake necessary for synthesizing acetylcholine, an essential autonomic neurotransmitter. Following synthesis, neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles. Metyrosine...
3.5K
01:18Neural Regulation of Blood Pressure
8.9K
The neural regulation of blood pressure involves intricate interactions between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cardiovascular system, ensuring adequate perfusion of tissues. This regulation primarily occurs through baroreceptor and chemoreceptor reflexes, involving both short-term and long-term mechanisms.
Baroreceptor Reflex
Baroreceptors, located in the carotid sinuses and aortic arch, detect changes in blood pressure. When blood pressure rises, these stretch-sensitive receptors...
Baroreceptor Reflex
Baroreceptors, located in the carotid sinuses and aortic arch, detect changes in blood pressure. When blood pressure rises, these stretch-sensitive receptors...
8.9K
01:19Ion Channels
68.0K
The movement of ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium into and out of the cell is essential to maintain the electrochemical gradient in living cells. The ion channels—a class of membrane transport proteins—help maintain this ionic gradient for the smooth functioning of physiological activities such as maintaining cell size and volume, conducting nerve impulses, and gas and nutrient exchange.
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
68.0K