title: Sex and the migraine brain.
abstract: The brain responds differently to environmental and internal signals that relate to the stage of development of neural systems. While genetic and epigenetic factors contribute to a premorbid state, hormonal fluctuations in women may alter the set point of migraine. The cyclic surges of gonadal hormones may directly alter neuronal, glial and astrocyte function throughout the brain. Estrogen is mainly excitatory and progesterone inhibitory on brain neuronal systems. These changes contribute to the allostatic load of the migraine condition that most notably starts at puberty in girls.
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Massachusestts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA. Electronic address: david.borsook@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borsook
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erpelding
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Headache Clinic, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebel
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Massachusestts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Linnman
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veggeberg
authors.affiliation: Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center (FNNDSC), Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, USA; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buettner
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital P.A.I.N. Group, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Massachusestts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Becerra
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens
keywords: Allostatic load; Cortical spreading depression; Estrogen; Gonadotrophins; Headache; Hypothalamus; Menstrual cycle; Pain; Progesterone; Puberty; Sleep; Trigeminal; Women