title: Neuroexcitatory amino acid levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid during migraine attacks.
abstract: A current hypothesis for migraine suggests that neuroexcitatory amino acids may participate in the triggering of attacks. To investigate this possibility we measured glutamic and aspartic acid level in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with common and classic migraine during attacks, making comparisons with controls suffering stress. Plasma levels of amino acids in migraine patients were lower than in controls. CSF concentrations of glutamic acid were higher in migraineurs than in controls. Our results suggest an excess of neuroexcitatory amino acids in the CNS of migraine patients during attacks, possibly favoring a state of neuronal hyperexcitability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hospital General de Galicia-Clínico Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leira
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D005971:Glutamates / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid