In recent years that search has included epilepsy drugs — after scientists discovered that migraines are not caused by the abnormal blood vessels once blamed but by a unique electrical disorder of brain cells.
Somewhat like epilepsy patient do, migraine sufferers have abnormally excitable brain nerve cells that, when triggered, fire across important pain centers to awaken nerve pain and inflame blood vessels.
Several migraine experts have described a process known as sensitization, during which pain starts in the nerves on the outside of the brain. If the pain is not stopped right away, the effect moves to nerves that normally do not perceive pain.
Non-painful stimuli are perceived as painful by the patient, who may say things like "my hair hurts." This strange sensation is called cutaneous allodynia.
Triptan drugs used to treat migraines can prevent this from happening, but cannot reverse it once it starts. Beta-blockers, narcotics and ergot derivatives, each with a different mechanism of action, are also used to treat migraine.
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~ flowers bloom near Memory and Dream
at 9/23/2002 11:49:49 AM ~
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