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The Cerebellum and Migraine
Author(s) -
Vincent Maurice,
Hadjikhani Nouchine
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00715.x
Subject(s) - migraine , familial hemiplegic migraine , cerebellar ataxia , cerebellum , neuroscience , migraine with aura , cortical spreading depression , aura , pathophysiology , ataxia , medicine , psychology , pathology
Clinical and pathophysiological evidences connect migraine and the cerebellum. Literature on documented cerebellar abnormalities in migraine, however, is relatively sparse. Cerebellar involvement may be observed in 4 types of migraines: in the widespread migraine with aura (MWA) and migraine without aura (MWoA) forms; in particular subtypes of migraine such as basilar‐type migraine (BTM); and in the genetically driven autosomal dominant familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) forms. Cerebellar dysfunction in migraineurs varies largely in severity, and may be subclinical. Purkinje cells express calcium channels that are related to the pathophysiology of both inherited forms of migraine and primary ataxias, mostly spinal cerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA‐6) and episodic ataxia type 2 (EA‐2). Genetically driven ion channels dysfunction leads to hyperexcitability in the brain and cerebellum, possibly facilitating spreading depression waves in both locations. This review focuses on the cerebellar involvement in migraine, the relevant ataxias and their association with this primary headache, and discusses some of the pathophysiological processes putatively underlying these diseases.