How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel Review
Sex hormones and migraine are closely interlinked. Women report higher levels of migraine symptoms during periods of sex hormone fluctuation, particularly during puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause. Ovarian steroids, such as estrogen and progesterone, exert complex effects on the peripheral and ce...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Personalized Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/14/2/184 |
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| author | Frederick Godley John Meitzen Hadas Nahman-Averbuch Mary Angela O’Neal David Yeomans Nanette Santoro Nina Riggins Lars Edvinsson |
| author_facet | Frederick Godley John Meitzen Hadas Nahman-Averbuch Mary Angela O’Neal David Yeomans Nanette Santoro Nina Riggins Lars Edvinsson |
| author_sort | Frederick Godley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sex hormones and migraine are closely interlinked. Women report higher levels of migraine symptoms during periods of sex hormone fluctuation, particularly during puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause. Ovarian steroids, such as estrogen and progesterone, exert complex effects on the peripheral and central nervous systems, including pain, a variety of special sensory and autonomic functions, and affective processing. A panel of basic scientists, when challenged to explain what was known about how sex hormones affect the nervous system, focused on two hormones: estrogen and oxytocin. Notably, other hormones, such as progesterone, testosterone, and vasopressin, are less well studied but are also highlighted in this review. When discussing what new therapeutic agent might be an alternative to hormone therapy and menopause replacement therapy for migraine treatment, the panel pointed to oxytocin delivered as a nasal spray. Overall, the conclusion was that progress in the preclinical study of hormones on the nervous system has been challenging and slow, that there remain substantial gaps in our understanding of the complex roles sex hormones play in migraine, and that opportunities remain for improved or novel therapeutic agents. Manipulation of sex hormones, perhaps through biochemical modifications where its positive effects are selected for and side effects are minimized, remains a theoretical goal, one that might have an impact on migraine disease and other symptoms of menopause. This review is a call to action for increased interest and funding for preclinical research on sex hormones, their metabolites, and their receptors. Interdisciplinary research, perhaps facilitated by a collaborative communication network or panel, is a possible strategy to achieve this goal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:24:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6244acc96a4048239383f5e31526459b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4426 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:24:43Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Personalized Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-6244acc96a4048239383f5e31526459b2024-02-23T15:23:47ZengMDPI AGJournal of Personalized Medicine2075-44262024-02-0114218410.3390/jpm14020184How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel ReviewFrederick Godley0John Meitzen1Hadas Nahman-Averbuch2Mary Angela O’Neal3David Yeomans4Nanette Santoro5Nina Riggins6Lars Edvinsson7Association of Migraine Disorders, P.O. Box 870, North Kingstown, RI 02852, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USADivision of Clinical and Translational Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USABrigham and Women’s Hospital, 45 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, USADepartment of Anesthesia, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USADepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USABrain Performance Center and Research Institute, San Diego, CA 92122, USADivision of Experimental Vascular Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Hospital, 22185 Lund, SwedenSex hormones and migraine are closely interlinked. Women report higher levels of migraine symptoms during periods of sex hormone fluctuation, particularly during puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause. Ovarian steroids, such as estrogen and progesterone, exert complex effects on the peripheral and central nervous systems, including pain, a variety of special sensory and autonomic functions, and affective processing. A panel of basic scientists, when challenged to explain what was known about how sex hormones affect the nervous system, focused on two hormones: estrogen and oxytocin. Notably, other hormones, such as progesterone, testosterone, and vasopressin, are less well studied but are also highlighted in this review. When discussing what new therapeutic agent might be an alternative to hormone therapy and menopause replacement therapy for migraine treatment, the panel pointed to oxytocin delivered as a nasal spray. Overall, the conclusion was that progress in the preclinical study of hormones on the nervous system has been challenging and slow, that there remain substantial gaps in our understanding of the complex roles sex hormones play in migraine, and that opportunities remain for improved or novel therapeutic agents. Manipulation of sex hormones, perhaps through biochemical modifications where its positive effects are selected for and side effects are minimized, remains a theoretical goal, one that might have an impact on migraine disease and other symptoms of menopause. This review is a call to action for increased interest and funding for preclinical research on sex hormones, their metabolites, and their receptors. Interdisciplinary research, perhaps facilitated by a collaborative communication network or panel, is a possible strategy to achieve this goal.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/14/2/184sex hormonesmigraineestrogenoxytocinprogesteronetestosterone |
| spellingShingle | Frederick Godley John Meitzen Hadas Nahman-Averbuch Mary Angela O’Neal David Yeomans Nanette Santoro Nina Riggins Lars Edvinsson How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel Review Journal of Personalized Medicine sex hormones migraine estrogen oxytocin progesterone testosterone |
| title | How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel Review |
| title_full | How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel Review |
| title_fullStr | How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel Review |
| title_short | How Sex Hormones Affect Migraine: An Interdisciplinary Preclinical Research Panel Review |
| title_sort | how sex hormones affect migraine an interdisciplinary preclinical research panel review |
| topic | sex hormones migraine estrogen oxytocin progesterone testosterone |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/14/2/184 |
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