Chronic migraine (CM) and episodic migraine (EM) are part of the spectrum of migraine disorders, but they are distinct clinical entities. Population-based studies have shown that those with CM demonstrate higher individual and societal burden because they are significantly more disabled than those with EM and have greater impaired quality of life both inside and outside the home. Proper diagnos...

Migraine often runs in families and is associated with both genetic and environmental factors. Clinical and genetic heterogeneity as well as the influence of environmental factors have hampered the identification of the gene responsible for migraine disorder. Family/twin studies suggest the presence of hereditary susceptibility. Several different types of mutations or association studies with g...

Primary headache disorders such as migraine affect almost a third of women during their childbearing years, when decisions about contraception must be made. Headache is also a commonly reported adverse event in clinical trials of oral contraceptives (OCs). Health care practitioners will frequently be called upon to give advice about the use of OCs to women with headache. This article applies cu...

Because epilepsy and headache share some common clinical features, these two disorders have long been associated with each other. Many experimental studies demonstrated that both migraine a genetic predisposition pathophysiological mechanisms. In addition, is commonly observed as preictal, ictal, postictal symptom in patients, there are several interesting reports describing patients who experi...

As a group, headache disorders are painful and disabling, impacting the lives of people with headache across multiple domains and reducing their ability to be productive and satisfied members of society. The majority of work examining psychological approaches to headache has occurred within the two most prevalent primary headache disorders: migraine and tension-type headache. Recent epidemiolog...

Migraine – a suitable case for treatment? Headache disorders are common, with a lifetime prevalence of over 90% in all populations where they have been measured. So common, in fact, that a Global Campaign to Reduce the Burden of Headache was launched in 2004 to educate health care providers, the general public, and national governments to recognize that headache disorders are not trivial, that ...

Migraine is a primary episodic headache disorder that represents a substantial burden and disability worldwide. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial and remains hitherto poorly elucidated. An interesting but less-well-known association is that between migraine and gastrointestinal disorders. We have reviewed the literature for relevant papers reporting on the clinical association between migraine...

Migraine and stroke are common neurovascular disorders which share underlying physiological processes. Increased risks of ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and subclinical ischemic lesions have been consistently found in migraineurs. Three possible associations are suggested. One is that underlying pathophysiology of migraine can lead to ischemic stroke. Second, common comorbidities between ...

A complex bidirectional relation between migraine, mostly migraine with aura (MA), and ischaemic stroke is known. A cerebral infarction can occur during a MA, and MA is a risk factor for ischaemic stroke, particularly in young women. Conversely, cerebral ischaemia can induce MA. Both ischaemic stroke and MA might be consequences of many underlying vascular disorders. Despite the relation betwee...