Blocking brain chemical could stop migraines

摘要

Flashing lights, a feeling of unease, excruciating pain. The varied symptoms of migraines can be triggered by hunger or stress, but their underlying cause has remained a mystery. Now it seems a molecule deep in the brain may be to blame. To investigate, Simon Akerman at New York University and Peter Goadsby at King's College London studied two peptides released by neurons thought to be involved in migraine pain. Called VIP and PACAP, these protein-like molecules first raised suspicion when large amounts were found in blood taken from people during migraines. When they were given intravenously to volunteers, they got a headache or migraine about 2 hours later.