Brain excitation and inhibition in pediatric migraine

Compared to adults, little research has been done to understand the biology of migraine in children and adolescents despite having have different clinical symptoms, response to treatments, underlying genetic factors, and brains compared to adults with migraine. Altered brain inhibition and excitation has been proposed to underlie adult migraine but there is a lack of information in pediatric migraine.

In collaboration with Dr. Ashley Harris’ lab, we aim to understand how brain inhibition and/or excitation may be altered in youth with migraine. We are using brain scans (magnetic resonance spectroscopy), magnetic stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation), and behavioral tests (tactile behavioral testing) to understand how brain excitation and inhibition changes within a migraine cycle, and as the youth grow and their disease evolves.

If we can better understand the unique biology of migraine in youth, we can better design treatments specifically for youth rather than borrowing treatments from adult studies, the most common approach to date.