Migraine Triggers and Oxidative Stress

Migraines can be triggered by a variety of factors, including stress, sleep disruption, noise, odors, and diet. The recent discovery that the TRPA1 ion channel transduces oxidative stress and triggers neurogenic inflammation suggests that oxidative stress may be the common denominator underlying migraine triggers. The findings of a new Headache review indicate that many of these factors converge on a common pathway involving oxidative stress.

Dr. Jonathan Borkum at the University of Maine examined studies on migraine triggers published between 1990 and 2014. He found that nearly all traditional triggers had a propensity to generate oxidative stress, an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract their harmful effects. The findings suggest that antioxidants might help prevent or preempt migraines.

In all cases except pericranial pain, common migraine triggers are capable of generating oxidative stress. Depending on the trigger, mechanisms include a high rate of energy production by the mitochondria, toxicity or altered membrane properties of the mitochondria, calcium overload and excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation and activation of microglia, and activation of neuronal nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. For some triggers, oxidants also arise as a byproduct of monoamine oxidase or cytochrome P450 processing, or from uncoupling of nitric oxide synthase.

"These data hint that an acute migraine attack may be an attempt by the brain to protect itself, and possibly - when you look at certain chemicals released during an attack - to heal itself," said Dr. Borkum. "Understanding migraines may ultimately teach us how we, too, can protect the brain."