The Mystery of the Migraine

The definition of a migraine according to the World Health Organization, is a headache disorder where pain-producing inflammatory chemicals are released around the nerves and blood vessels in the head. Migraines commonly occur during puberty, but are most prevalent in adults between the ages of 35 and 45. During a migraine, the pain can be either moderate or severe, and can be contained to one area of the brain or pulsing. Accompanying side effects include nausea, and an intolerance to normal levels of light and sound.

With migraines deemed to be one of the top 20 disorders with Years Lived with Disabilities (LYD), and one of the most expensive neurological disorders in society in the EU and the US, there seems to be very bleak hope for migraine sufferers. However, according to a recent study, a gene variation, responsible for the cause of migraines in the brain, has been identified.

This study was conducted by a collaboration of researchers from more than 40 centres from around the world, and was steered by the International Headache Genetics Consortium. The research team discovered that in 50,000 patients, the patients with a particular DNA variant on chromosome 8, between two genes -- PGCP and MTDH/AEG-1 -- have more potential for developing migraines. Upon further research, the team found that the DNA variant is responsible for regulating levels of glutamate, a chemical neurotransmitter that sends messages between neurons in the brain. These results suggest that an accumulation of glutamate over time, in the brain's synapses, could be the main stimulator of migraines.

Th researchers had to conduct a Genome Wide Association Study in order to examine the genetic data of more than 3,000 migraineurs, and 10,000 non-migraineurs, and they then corroborated their data by examining the genomes of a second group of 3,000 migraineurs and 40,000 non-migraineurs.

Until now, no genetic link has been identified to suggest that the accumulation of glutamate in the brain could play a role in triggering migraines. However, it does not end here . Further studies need to be conducted to test a broader range of subjects who may be less severely affected by migraines, so that a consensus can be reached for people suffering from all levels of migraine attacks.

In my view, this study is profound because of the results that arose from it. Before, a migraine was a vague concept, an enigmatic disorder, undefined and out of reach. Now, because of this study, and many more like it, a significant amount of light has been shed onto the mystery that is the migraine.

To Sleep or not to Sleep?.....

In today's tumultuous and fast-paced world, sleep is viewed as an indulgence, a luxury, a privilege. Hectic schedules and strenuous jobs have become the bread and butter of the world and simply put, there is no time for sleep. As they famous saying goes, "You can sleep when you're dead!"

However, this should not be the case. Sleep, more than anyone truly realizes, plays a profound role in our lives, and by depriving ourselves of it, we are ultimately contributing to our own cognitive decline.

A study was conducted by study author Jeffrey Ellenbogen, MD, with Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, along with a team of researchers and scientists in order to ascertain the effect of sleep on memory. Forty-eight subjects, between the ages of 18 and 30, participated in this study. They were divided into 4 groups: a wake group without interference, a wake group with interference, a sleep group without interference, and a sleep group with interference. each of these groups were told to memorize a list of 20 pairs of words.

The wake groups were taught the words at 9 am and were tested at 9 pm after remaining awake for 12 hours. The sleep groups were taught the words at 9 pm and were tested at 9 am after a night of sleep. Just before being tested, the interference groups were taught another word list consisting of 20 pairs of words. However, while the first word in each pair was the same on both the lists, the second word was different. This way, the brain's ability to handle competing information was tested, known as interference. The interference groups were then tested on both lists.

The results of the study found that the sleep group without interference had a memory recall which was 12% higher than that of the wake group without interference. Similarly, the sleep group with interference had a memory recall which was 44% higher than that of the wake group with interference. Overall, the study showed that the subjects who slept after learning the new information had a higher memory recall compared to that of the subjects who were awake.

Based on this experiment, one can conclude that sleep does in fact protect memories from interference, and strengthens them as well. This study provides insights into how the sleeping brain interacts with memories, and serves as a reminder for those who tend to overlook the importance of sleep.