title: The migraine-stroke connection: A genetic perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A complex relationship between migraine and vascular disease has long been recognized. The pathophysiological basis underlying this correlation is incompletely understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this review is to focus on the migraine-vascular disorders connection from a genetic perspective, illustrating potentially shared (molecular) mechanisms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We first summarize the clinical presentation and genetic basis of CADASIL and other monogenic vascular syndromes with migraine as a prominent disease manifestation. Based on data from transgenic mouse models for familial hemiplegic migraine, we then discuss cortical spreading depression as a potential mechanistic link between migraine and ischemic stroke. Finally, we review data from genome-wide association studies, with a focus on overlapping findings with cervical artery dissection, ischemic stroke in general and cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A wealth of data supports a genetic link between migraine and vascular disease. Based on growing high-throughput data-sets, new genotyping techniques and in-depth phenotyping, further insights are expected for the future.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: FORMI and Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Bendik
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winsvold
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), Munich, Germany Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Auffenberg
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), Munich, Germany Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dichgans
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), Tuebingen, Germany tobias.freilinger@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freilinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D013181:Cortical Spreading Depression / Q000502:physiology; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: CADASIL; cortical spreading depression; genetic susceptibility; genomewide association study; hemiplegic migraine; migraine pathophysiology; mouse model