Scientific basis of migraine: speculation on the relationship to cyclic vomiting.

Full Abstract

The pathogenesis of migraine is reviewed. Migraine is a brain disorder that is activated by various triggers working on a susceptibility to attacks, in part genetically determined. The frequency of attacks is determined by triggers working on a threshold that determines excitability of brain. The mechanisms of the attack may involve both cortical and brain-stem structures and their dysfunction. It remains to be determined if cortical or brain-stem centers "generate the attack." Because migraine involves severe nausea and vomiting, this review contains speculations on similarities in the mechanisms of migraine and cyclic vomiting.

Author information

Author/s: Welch, K M (KM);

Affiliation: University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City 66160, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Digestive diseases and sciences (Dig Dis Sci), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1999-Aug; vol 44 (issue 8 Suppl) : pp 26S-30S

Dates: Created 1999/09/30; Completed 1999/09/30; Revised 2005/11/17;

PMID: 10490036, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.