New solution for migraine

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

An electronic device can nip a migraine attack in the bud.
Migraine is a severe and disabling headache, often accompanied by nausea and visual disturbances. The new understanding of how migraine happens involves electrical overactivity of brain cells. And this has led to the development of a radically new treatment.

The device, known as TMS, works by killing the migraine attack before it really sets in. It can interrupt the so-called aura that often precedes the headache – that is, the cluster of visual and other symptoms such as flashing lights and blindness, tingling and confusion. This is a kind of electrical storm in the brain, which the TMS device can neutralize. It consists of a stimulator which sends an electric current through a metal coil, creating a strong magnetic field. This pulse, held against a person’s head, can disrupt the aura before it creates a migraine headache.

In this study, TMS relieved pain after an aura in 69 per cent of those treated, compared to 48 per cent of those in a placebo group. This is encouraging news for those who suffer from migraine and will now be tested in a bigger group of patients.

Source
American Headache Society meeting 22nd June 2006

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