title: The migraine-ischemic stroke relation in young adults.
abstract: In spite of the strong epidemiologic evidence linking migraine and ischemic stroke in young adults, the mechanisms explaining this association remain poorly understood. The observation that stroke occurs more frequently during the interictal phase of migraine prompts to speculation that an indirect relation between the two diseases might exist. In this regard, four major issues might be considered which may be summarized as follows: (1) the migraine-ischemic stroke relation is influenced by specific risk factors such as patent foramen ovale or endothelial dysfunction and more frequent in particular conditions like spontaneous cervical artery dissection; (2) migraine is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors; (3) the link is caused by migraine-specific drugs; (4) migraine and ischemic vascular events are linked via a genetic component. In the present paper, we will review epidemiological studies, discuss potential mechanisms of migraine-induced stroke and comorbid ischemic stroke, and pose new research questions.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Clinica Neurologica, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili, 1, 25100 Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzini
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Del Zotto
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giossi
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Volonghi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dalla Volta
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Padovani