“It’s not in your head,” doctors said. And yet, yes, chronic migraine is right there, in the brain, but not as we have always imagined. New scientific discoveries are revolutionizing our understanding of this disease, demolishing decades of scientific doubts and misunderstandings.
A story of misunderstandings
From ancient Egypt to the 17th century, humanity has tried everything against chronic migraine. Do you have even the slightest idea? For example, Egyptian doctors They tied clay crocodiles to the patients' heads, while medieval surgeons were decidedly more radical: They drilled holes in the skull to “let the evil out”. The 20th century brought more effective treatments, but for the most part of the billion suffering in the world, relief remained a mirage.
The turning point came with Arne May and other researchers who began to perform brain scans on patients with chronic migraine. For the first time, they saw that different regions of the brain were activated during attacks. And this discovery transformed the perception of the disease: from psychological disorder to concrete biological condition.
But it's not just a headache
He explains it Richard Lipton, neurologist of theAlbert Einstein College of Medicine: Chronic migraine is a much, much broader (and more diverse) phenomenon than previously thought. Dom Horton, a British editor, never has headaches, but suffers from constant dizziness and mental confusion. Fiona Gartside, a Scottish veterinary surgeon, instead experiences a range of symptoms from sensitivity to light to fainting.
Only in the last 7 years has research identified thehypothalamus as the nerve center of the condition. Arne May emphasizes how this involves the limbic system, responsible for processing sensory information and regulating emotionsBrain scans show that connectivity in the hypothalamus increases shortly before a headache, then collapses during the headache phase.
Chronic Migraine, the Gepants Revolution
Hope has a name: gepants. This new class of drugs, which blocks the activity of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), is offering promising results. Peter Goadsby of the King's College London, pioneer of this research together with Lars Edvinsson ofLund University, tells how patients often cry with joy when they rediscover what a normal life means.
Of course, there is still a long way to go. Gepants only work for a portion of patients, and some symptoms persist. Diana Krause, neuropharmacologist of theUniversity of California, emphasizes how chronic migraine is now considered “a treatable and manageable condition,” but not yet completely curable.
It strikes me how much this scientific revolution is finally giving dignity to those who suffer from chronic migraines. No longer a disorder to be taken lightly or dismissed as “stress,” but a real neurological condition that deserves attention and research. The path is mapped out: the future of migraine treatment lies in a deep understanding of the brain, not in clay crocodiles.
