title: Riboflavin and migraine: the bridge over troubled mitochondria.
abstract: Brain energy metabolism has been found to be disturbed in migraine. A mitochondrial defect may reduce the threshold for migraine attacks both increasing neuronal excitability and leading migrainous brain to a hyper-responsiveness to triggering stimuli. Riboflavin, a major co-factor in oxidative metabolism, may overcome this impairment. RCT studies in adult confirmed that riboflavin is safe and probably effective in migraine prophylaxis, based on level B evidence. Improving brain energy metabolism may reduce the susceptibility to migraine when brain energy demand increases due to both physiological and biopsychological factors.
authors.affiliation: Headache Unit, Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Hospital, University Vita-Salute, Via Olgettina 48, 20132, Milan, Italy, colombo.bruno@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saraceno
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Comi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D012256:Riboflavin