The Gut Microbiome and Migraine: Updates in Understanding

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Gut-brain axis
• Neuroscience

Background:

• The gut microbiome, comprising trillions of microorganisms, significantly influences host physiology.
• The microbiome-gut-brain axis describes the bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system.
• Emerging evidence links gut dysbiosis to various neurological conditions, including migraine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of microbiome research.
• To elucidate the understanding of the microbiome-gut-brain axis.
• To present recent findings on the gut microbiome's role in migraine.

Main Methods:

• Review of preclinical studies in rodent models.
• Analysis of human cohort data.
• Examination of recent metagenome-wide association studies (MWAS) and Mendelian Randomization.

Main Results:

• Preclinical data indicate gut microbiota are essential for normal pain perception.
• Rodent models suggest potential therapeutic applications of probiotics, SCFAs, and herbal medicines for migraine.
• Human studies reveal altered gut microbiota composition and function in individuals with migraine.
• MWAS and Mendelian Randomization support a causal link between gut microbiota and migraine.

Conclusions:

• The gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as a factor in migraine pathophysiology.
• Dysbiosis in the gut microbiota is associated with migraine.
• Further research into the gut microbiome-migraine connection may yield novel therapeutic strategies.