Changes in Brain Due to Migraines

Migraines are a type of brain disorder, as changes in the brain are both the cause and result of migraines. Some researchers even view migraines as a symptom of a potential brain disease.

Oxygen Shortage

When a migraine hits, the brain's chemical balance changes and requires more oxygen to correct it. Though the arteries open for more blood, parts of the brain are still inevitably deprived of oxygen.

Brain Cells

When deprived of oxygen, the brain cells are no longer able to function, causing a breakdown of the cells' signaling abilities--the same thing that happens when a person suffers a small stroke.

Thick Somatosensory Cortex

Migraine sufferers have thicker somatosensory cortexes than others. This part of the brain is involved in sensory information, and it may either cause migraines or be a change that occurs to compensate for them.

Cerebellum

A study by Mark Kruit at Leiden University in the Netherlands and Lenore Launer, Ph.D., at the U.S. National Institute on Aging, reveals that sufferers of migraine accompanied by auras, which are sensory sensitivities, are 14 times more likely to have dead brain cells in the cerebellum--the brain area responsible for motor control--than others.

Small Brain Lesions

According to Kruit and Launer, aural migraine sufferers tend to have more small brain lesions than others.

References

• WebMD: Migraine Linked to Brain Lesions; Daniel J. DeNoon; Jan. 27, 2004
• ScienceDaily.com:Migraine Headaches May Cause Brain Damage, Mouse Study Shows; Apr. 30, 2007
• BBC: Migraine brains 'are different'; Nov. 20, 2007