Electrophysiological evidence for trigeminal neuron sensitization in patients with migraine

The electrically elicited corneal reflex is a useful tool for exploring the trigeminal system in humans and it may provide additional evidence pointing to a dysfunction of this system in migrainous patients. Tactile perception, corneal reflex and pain thresholds were studied in 48 migraine without a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience letters 2002-01, Vol.317 (3), p.135-138
Main Authors: Sandrini, Giorgio, Proietti Cecchini, Alberto, Milanov, Ivan, Tassorelli, Cristina, Buzzi, Maria Gabriella, Nappi, Giuseppe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Blink reflex
Blinking - physiology
Cerebral Arteries - innervation
Cerebral Arteries - physiopathology
Corneal reflex
Electric Stimulation
Female
Functional Laterality - physiology
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Migraine
Migraine Disorders - pathology
Migraine Disorders - physiopathology
Neural Conduction - physiology
Neural Pathways - pathology
Neural Pathways - physiopathology
Neurology
Neurons, Afferent - physiology
Pain perception
Pain Threshold - physiology
Tactile perception
Touch - physiology
Trigeminal Nerve - pathology
Trigeminal Nerve - physiopathology
Trigeminal pain pathway
Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system
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Summary:The electrically elicited corneal reflex is a useful tool for exploring the trigeminal system in humans and it may provide additional evidence pointing to a dysfunction of this system in migrainous patients. Tactile perception, corneal reflex and pain thresholds were studied in 48 migraine without aura patients during pain-free periods and compared with those observed in 24 controls. Twenty-eight of the patients had strictly unilateral headache, while the other 20 had bilateral or side-shifting pain during attacks. Both migraine subgroups (bilateral and unilateral) showed significantly lower thresholds compared with controls. The lowest values were observed on the symptomatic side of unilateral migraine patients. These findings suggest that sensorimotor mechanisms and/or pain control systems at the trigeminal level are impaired in migraine. The bilateral location of these abnormalities seems to point to a centrally located dysfunction.
ISSN:0304-3940
1872-7972
DOI:10.1016/S0304-3940(01)02447-8