Vasodilation MAY occur during a Migraine, but doesn't always occur, and is not required for Migraine pain.

For quite some time, Migraines were classified as "vascular headaches." For many years, it was thought that the first thing to happen in response to encountering a Migraine trigger was vasodilation - dilation of blood vessels in the brain.

Over time, research has relegated the vascular theory to the back burner. We've known for some time now that the first response to a trigger is activation of neurons that fire in a wave across the brain. The first response is neurological, not vascular. Now, studies have shown us even more about Migraine and vasodilation.

For more information, see Vasodilation Not Always Part of Migraine.

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Resources:

Charles, Andrew, MD. "Migraine Pathophysiology Update." Presented at the American Headache Society Scottsdale Symposium. November 19, 2010.

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© Teri Robert, 2011.
Last updated December 4, 2011.