Migraine can negatively affect life by causing severe headaches, nausea and sensitivity to light. While there is still no 100% effective treatment against migraine, there has been a very important development today.
Scientists from the University of Southern California have detected the change in the brain of people with migraine for the first time. In people with chronic and episodic migraine without aura, it has been observed that the microscopic perivascular spaces of the brain region called ‘centrum semiovale’ are enlarged.
The change observed in the brain of people with migraine:
- A: MRI of the person with migraine, B: MRI of the person without migraine
The new discovery will offer important insights into how migraine occurs:
The area, defined as the perivascular space, consists of fluid spaces surrounding blood vessels in the brain. These spaces are particularly affected by abnormalities in the blood-brain barrier and conditions such as inflammation.
The discovery that there is an abnormal condition in this space in people with migraine is therefore of great importance. Wilson Xu, who led the study, states that this gap may offer answers about the origin of migraine.
Scientists are focused on unraveling the relationship between migraine and the perivascular space. Although a clear answer has not yet been reached on this issue, there is a hypothesis.
According to this hypothesis, the greater perivascular space in people with migraine may be due to glymphatic impairment in the brain. The glymphatic system uses the perivascular channels to help remove soluble proteins and metabolites from the central nervous system, acting as a sort of waste removal system.
Scientists will share their results with the new discovery next week.
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