Neuropeptide May Be Biomarker for Chronic Migraine

Levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a neurotransmitter that causes vasodilation, are elevated in the peripheral blood of women with chronic migraine (CM), and to a lesser extent in women with episodic migraine, compared with levels in healthy controls without a history of headache, new research reveals.The study shows, for the first time, increased CGRP levels in patients with CM outside migraine attacks and in the absence of medication for symptoms.The results suggest that CGRP levels could be used as a biomarker for permanent trigeminovascular activation and therefore help diagnose chronic migraine. Until now, the diagnosis of primary headache has been based only on clinical grounds."It's important to have biomarkers, not only to avoid misdiagnoses but also for treatment follow-up," said study author Julio Pascual, MD, PhD, director, Neuroscience Department, and professor, neurology, University Hospital Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain."Can you imagine diagnosing and treating diabetes only on clinical grounds? That's what we do now in primary headaches. Chronic migraine is the most frequent type of almost daily headache, and it's very disabling."The study was published online August 23 in Neurology.Throbbing PainIt is well established that during a migraine attack, trigeminal activation leads to release of CGRP from presynaptic nerve terminals. This facilitates a peripheral inflammatory and vasodilatory response and causes activation of neuron...
Source: Psychology of Pain - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Source Type: blogs