Dealing With Headaches

FMH migraines are also known as familial hemipleic migraines and, as the name implies, they run in families. This is a nasty type of migraine that often is accompanied by problems standing, fever, paralysis of a limb or side of the body and auras that can last days. It is thought that FMH migraines are caused by a mutation in a gene known as CACNA1A, also thought to be a player in cortisol spreading depression.

There is no known cure, but FMH migraines can be managed. Now, there’s a new study out that states that women with FMH migraines shouldn’t take hormones or they will get migraines more frequently. However, the study was done on mice and not on actual women with FMH migraines.

I’ll resist the urge to rant against using animals in medical experiments and just plow on with the study details.

Study Specs

The study on mice was done at Massachusetts General Hospital. No word as to whether a certain Major Charles Winchester III participated (In joke for M*A*S*H fans.) The female mice had their ovaries removed and then were given estrogen replacement therapy. Female mice were chosen because more women get FMH migraines (and migraines overall) than men.

And this is where the study gets a bit incomprehensible. I’m assuming the mice in the experiment had the genetic mutation required for FHM migraines. They are known in the study as “FMH1 mutant mice”. Although I’ve been called very empathic with animals, I’m not entrely sure how you know a mouse has a migraine. (I’m serious here. Do they do brain scans? Check the supplies of mouse Imitrex in the mouse medicine chest? What?)

If I’m interpeting the study correctly, the scientists induced a migraine in the mice through chemical means of “brief topical application of 300 mM KCl”. If I got that wrong, I’m sure I’ll hear about it.

Although this study’s title is “Genetic and hormonal factors modulate spreading depression and transient hemiparesis in mouse models of familial hemiplegic migraine type 1” and the somewhat comprehsible parts lean towards this being a depression study, it’s get a lot of news on blogs devoted to headaches and migraines. So, I’m just joining in on the fun.

The Practical Upshot

Don’t be a lab mouse. Or if you do, try to get in on those medical marijuana studies.