title: Is migraine due to a deficiency of pineal melatonin?
abstract: Recent clinical observations favor the theory that migraine is caused by a primary injury of cerebral neurons with secondary involvement of intracranial and extracranial blood vessels. The primary injury is attributed to disruption of cerebral neurotransmitters and particularly the neuroadrenergic and serotonergic systems. These theories have not explained the importance of environmental factors, which so frequently trigger migraine. The author suggests that the pineal gland, which is outside the CNS unprotected by blood brain barrier and sensitive to external stimuli, could act as the intermediate causative factor of migraine, via a derangement of melatonin.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006801:Humans; D008029:Lighting; D008550:Melatonin / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D008550:Melatonin; D009638:Norepinephrine