US Scientists discover new migraine gene

Migraines affect 1 in 4 women and 1 in 12 men A team of US scientists have discovered the first gene involved in typical migraines. The researchers studied the genetics of two families who suffer from chronic migraines in an attempt to pinpoint a common genetic flaw, British newspaper The Telegraph reports. The scientists studied mice carrying the same genetic fault to ensure that the gene was the key cause of migraines. Lead researcher Louis Ptácek, of University of California, San Francisco, said: “Obviously, we can't measure a headache in a mouse but there are other things that go along with a migraine that we can measure.”Experiments showed the mice, like people with migraines, were very sensitive to pain, touch, sound and light. The mice identified with the genetic flaw were also found to be more prone to a pattern of brain waves linked to the flashing lights or other visual problems that can occur before a migraine. Migraine drugs appeared to ease the mice’s symptoms, the journal Science Translational Medicine reported. The breakthrough could lead to new and improved treatments for tens of thousands of headache sufferers.