title: Correlation or causation: untangling the relationship between patent foramen ovale and migraine.
abstract: Observational evidence from the literature has shown an association between migraine headaches and patent foramen ovale (PFO). This observation has led to hypotheses that could explain the etiology of migraines in those with a PFO, including right-to-left shunting of venous agents such as serotonin that are normally broken down in the pulmonary circulation. Further evidence suggests that closure of a PFO may improve migraine symptoms and serve as an effective treatment modality for migraines. Several randomized controlled double-blinded studies are underway that will more definitively establish the role of specific devices in PFO closure in those suffering from migraines.
authors.affiliation: The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1030, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giovannone
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Volpicelli
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation