A novel translational animal model of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias

Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) are highly disabling primary headache disorders that involve severe unilateral head pain coupled with significant lateralized cranial autonomic features. Our understanding of these disorders and the development of novel and more effective treatments has been limited by the lack of a suitable animal model to explore their pathophysiology and screen prospective treatments.

This review details the development of a novel preclinical model that demonstrates activation of both the trigeminovascular system and parasympathetic projections, thought to be responsible for the severe head pain and autonomic symptoms.

This model demonstrates a unique response to TAC specific treatments and highlights the importance of the cranial parasympathetic pathway to the pathophysiology of TACs and as a potential locus of action for treatments. The development of this model opens up opportunities to understand the pathophysiology of these disorders further, the likely involvement of the hypothalamus, as well as providing a preclinical model with which to screen novel compounds.