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Can nitric oxide induce migraine in normal individuals?
1Danish Headache Center and Department of Neurology, Glostrup Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|January 10, 2015
Summary
Migraine threshold debated for years. New evidence suggests nitric oxide can trigger migraine-like attacks in healthy individuals, challenging previous notions of a fixed migraine threshold.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Medical Research
Background:
- The concept of an individual
- migraine threshold
- has long been debated among scientists regarding its role in migraine attack likelihood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and discuss the potential of nitric oxide to induce migraine-like attacks in individuals without a prior history of migraines.
- To explore the implications of these findings for understanding migraine expression and developing new models.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and discussion of existing experimental data.
- Analysis of studies investigating the effects of nitric oxide in humans and animals.
Main Results:
- Experimental data indicate that normal individuals can experience migraine-like attacks.
- Nitric oxide has been identified as a potential trigger for such attacks in healthy subjects.
Conclusions:
- Recent discoveries highlight both genetic and environmental factors influencing migraine expression.
- The findings suggest that a migraine attack may be possible in any individual given a sufficient stimulus, challenging the concept of a fixed, immutable migraine threshold.
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