Abstract:
Background Migraine is a common neurovascular disorder
characterized by attacks of severe headache, autonomic
and neurological symptoms. We hypothesized that patients
with migraine had abnormal endothelial function. The
vascular theory of migraine assumes that the major
pathophysiological events that initiate the migraine
attack occur in the perivascular nerves of the major
cerebral vessels. Accordingly, we aimed to measure
endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in migraineurs
by means of flow-mediated dilatation, which reflects
endothelium-dependent vasodilatation capacity.
Materials and methods Forty-five patients who fulfilled the
diagnostic criteria for migraine and 45 age and sexmatched
healthy participants were enrolled in the study.
Flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery was
determined using a high-resolution B-mode
ultrasonographic system. Flow-mediated vasodilatation
was expressed as the change in post-stimulus diameter as
a percentage of the baseline diameter.
Results Mean ages of the patients were 33 ± 10 years in
migraineurs (range: 18–52 years, 36 female, 9 male) and
33 ± 9 years in non-migraineurs (range: 17–50 years,
36 female and 9 male). Flow-mediated dilatation of patients
with migraine is significantly lower than that of the
controls (8.02 ± 4.095% vs. 10.72 ± 3.52%, respectively,
P = 0.001).
Conclusion We have shown that migraineurs have
decreased endothelium-dependent vasodilatation capacity
compared with non-migraineurs. Migraine may be a
local manifestation of systemic vascular vasomotion
abnormalities.
