Genetic Cause of Migraines

March 6, 2002

This is an interesting post, as most of you know that I suffer from frequent

migraines. My great-grandmother, grandmother, aunt, one out of 2 uncles,

mother, brother and myself have suffered from migraines. I have also passed

these migraines on to my son . His are different then mine as were the

rest of the family. Not one of us had the same kind of head ache. has,

I believe has a more dangerous kind, his if bad enough will cause grand-mal

seizures. It seems that puberty is a trigger age in my family as well as some

sort of head injury. My uncle had a head injury while he was doing his tour

of duty in Nam. I at age 13 had a bike accident with head injury and

was involved in a car accident with the daycare and he also had a head

injury. My brother was puberty as well as my aunt. Not sure about my

grandmother and great-grandmother.

I sure wish that there were better treatments for migraines. I can say that

in the last 5 to 10 years they have made great strides in treatments. I have

certainly benefited from these treatments as well as .

Maybe they should do a clinical trial on my family. LOL.

March 7, 2002

Genetic Cause of Migraines

Mar. 6, 2002 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Doctors are closing in on the gene or

genes that cause one of the most severe forms of migraine headaches. In

a new study, researchers from UCLA report on three common markers for

migraines.

Migraine headaches are common, affecting about 10 percent to 12 percent

of the white population. Women are more affected than men, and the

prevalence peaks for both sexes during middle age. Most migraine

headaches occur without a preceding " aura. " An aura is a neurological

condition that causes the appearance of flashing lights and other visual

symptoms. However, about a third of all migraine sufferers will

experience this form of the headache sometime during their lives.

UCLA investigators searched for a gene or genes predisposing people to

migraines with aura among 430 members of families who had three or more

members with the condition. Results show 30 percent of the people tested

had three common markers linked to a region of the number 4 chromosome.

Aarno Palotie, M.D., Ph.D., from UCLA, says: " Now that we have narrowed

the hunting ground, these findings provide us with a focused direction

for identification of the gene itself. They also pave the way for

clinical trials of more effective prophylactic drugs. "

SOURCE: American Journal of Human Genetics, 2002;70:652-662

Recommended Posts