Researchers Identify Genetic Regions Associated with Migraine

Researchers have now identified five genetic regions in the body that are associated with migraines. The study offers new insight on what triggers a migraine attack.

Migraines are recurring bouts of moderate to severe pain that causes a throbbing or pulsating effect, usually on one side of the head. About 12 percent of the U.S. population suffers from migraines and women are three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men. Previous research has shown that migraine could lead to brain damage.

The study was based on data of 100,000 samples from both migraine patients and control participants who had taken part in 29 different genomic studies. This is the first study that found five additional genetic areas that play an important role in migraine attacks.

In the study, researchers identified 12 genetic regions that make a person more vulnerable to migraines. About eight of these genetic regions are associated with maintaining brain circuitry while two others help keeping brain tissues healthy. Researchers say that regulation of these pathways may be associated with migraines.

"This study has greatly advanced our biological insight about the cause of migraine. Migraine and epilepsy are particularly difficult neural conditions to study; between episodes the patient is basically healthy so it's extremely difficult to uncover biochemical clues," said Dr Aarno Palotie, one of the study authors from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

"We have proven that this is the most effective approach to study this type of neurological disorder and understand the biology that lies at the heart of it," Palotie added, according to a press release.

Researchers also found that some of these genetic regions are close to those areas that are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress- a process that leads to deterioration of cells.

The study also revealed that genes associated with migraines may be interconnected and could be disrupting a brain network, which in turn causes the symptoms of migraine.

Additionally, researchers have identified another 134 genetic regions that may be linked with migraines. However, researchers say that the statistical evidence for these genetic regions is low and requires further investigation.

The study," Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies new susceptibility loci for migraine" is published in the journal Nature Genetics.