A migraine is moderate to a severe headache lasting up to 1 to 3 days. Migraines affect approximately 12% of adults and children and occur primarily in women. These headaches are often incapacitating and associated with additional side effects such as nausea, autonomic dysfunction, and aura (visual impairment). Migraines are some of the most taxing neurological disorders in the world and a major cause of disability in the world. Migraine Symptoms Migraine symptoms vary from person to person. Classic symptoms include; throbbing head pain on one side of the head, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and vision changes. People with migraines will often seek quiet dark places to rest as the pain can be quite severe. Migraines and Auras There are two main types of migraines: a migraine without aura (MO) and migraine with aura (MA). Patients with migraines with aura experience an assortment of neurological symptoms, usually visual, such as shiny shapes, hallucinations, and seeing black spots. However, the aura can impair other abilities such as sensory, speech, motor skills, eye function and brainstem functioning. Only around 20-30% of migraine sufferers experience MA. Types of Migraines In addition to migraines with and without auras, migraines can be further divided into subgroups based on their symptoms or causes.

How migraines develop is not well known. It is believed that migraines are caused by activation of nerves in the face (trigeminal nerves) . Specifically, nerves that sense pain (nociceptors) and also stimulate blood vessels in the head are activated. Stimulation of the blood vessels by these nerves then stimulates regions of the brain involved in pain perception, such as the thalamus and various regions in the cortex. Causes of Migraines Environmental Causes of Migraines There are many environmental causes such as stress, bright lights, difficulty sleeping, ingredients in food and drinks, doing physically strenuous work and menstruation. Individuals can also be genetically predisposed to migraines due to mutations in specific genes. Genetic Predisposition to Migraines More than 100 genes have been shown to have at least one mutation that is associated with migraine development. Most genes that have been shown to contribute to migraines are involved in neuronal or vascular functions. Genome-wide analyses revealed that genes that encode a cation channel expressed in sensory neurons (TRPM8), a protein that influences how neurons relay messages to each other (LRP1) and a protein that may be involved in neurogenesis are also associated with migraines. Non-HM MAs can also be caused by genetic mutation.