Summary and Comments:
These studies clearly demonstrated that gastric stasis occurs in Migraineurs, at all times, not just during a Migraine. This has significant implications regarding the use of oral medications. It explains to a great extent why many Migraineurs do not get timely and adequate relief from oral medications taken during a Migraine attack.
As stated in the study results, more studies are needed to fully understand the relationship between gastric stasis and it's impact on Migraine and any clues it may offer regarding dysfunction in the periaqueductal gray area of the brain, iron accumulations in the PAG, the role of the hypothalmus, and more.
The practical "take-away" of this study is for Migraineurs to discuss Migraine abortives in the nonoral types listed above if oral abortives seem ineffective.
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Resources:
1 Richard B. Lipton, MD; Sheena K. Aurora, MD; Rami Burstein, PhD; Stephen D. Silberstein, MD, FACP. "Targeting Multiple Mechanisms in Migraine: New Advances in Acute Care." Medscape CME Circle. 2005.
2 Aurora, Sheena K., Kori, Shashidhar H., Barrodale, Pat, McDonald, Susan A. & Haseley, David (2006) "Gastric Stasis in Migraine: More Than Just a Paroxysmal Abnormality During a Migraine Attack." Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 46 (1), 57-63. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00311.x
3 Aurora, Sheena K., MD; Kori, Shashidhar, MD; Barrodale, Patricia, RN; Nelsen, Andrew; McDonald, Susan, MA. "Gastric Stasis Occurs in Spontaneous, Visually Induced, and Interictal Migraine." Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 2007;47:1443-1446. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2007.00922.x.
© Teri Robert, 2006 - 2008
Last updated August 18, 2008.
