The Brain Foundation is investing €378,000 in a major Medical Delta study, in which scientists from various universities work together. The aim of the research is to early recognize characteristics of a migraine attack and to detect personal triggers for such attacks. The researchers want to achieve this by following people who regularly suffer from migraines at home for a longer period of time. This is done, among other things, with special ‘caps’ with which the sensitivity of the brain can be measured.
Unpredictable headache attacks
People with migraines would be greatly helped if they had a better understanding of which personal triggers trigger migraine attacks. It also helps to recognize a migraine attack in time, so that the consequences of an attack can be reduced.
Simultaneous measurement
Image: TMSi
At present, there are no reliable methods that indicate the brain’s sensitivity to an impending migraine attack. A migraine attack is caused by a personal combination of triggers and the sensitivity of the brain at that moment. Only by measuring both at the same time will you know whether there is an increased risk of a migraine attack. The researchers want to identify personal triggers of a migraine attack. They do this by using an innovative electronic headache diary (E-headache diary). This collects information from each participant in the study about which triggers trigger a migraine attack.
At the same time, the participants measure their brain activity at home using so-called ‘caps’, which they can easily put on themselves. In this way, the researchers can also look at the (changing) sensitivity of the brain in the period before a migraine attack.
First migraine study with home monitoring
“With this study, we are the first to monitor migraine patients in their home environment, where they experience their natural triggers,” says Prof. Dr. Gisela Terwindt (LUMC), main applicant of the research project. “This way we get the best picture of the personal combination of triggers and the changing sensitivity of the brain in the run-up to an attack.”
“Within the project we optimize the technology to carry out home measurements. We apply a recently developed technology with new caps so that migraine patients can perform the measurements themselves at home,” says Prof. Dr. Arn van den Maagdenberg (LUMC), one of the research leaders of the Medical NeuroDelta scientific program and co-applicant of the project. “To this end, we work together with colleagues from TU Delft and the company TMSi.”
Co-applicant Dr. Mark van de Ruit (TU Delft) explains: “At TU Delft we will further focus on improving current measurement and data processing methods to reliably and efficiently determine the sensitivity of the brain.” Tech company TMSi focuses on developing modern solutions to measure brain activity. “For a company like ours, it is important that we can work closely with specialists,” says Dr. Asker Bazen of TMSi.
More control through timely measures
“By combining information from the headache app with measurements of brain activity, this research leads to a first method and first insight to predict migraine attacks. Ultimately, we hope that people with migraines will gain more control over their headache attacks. For example, by taking timely measures on days when your brain is more sensitive,” says Remco van Veen, Knowledge and Innovation manager at the Brain Foundation.
Why does the Brain Foundation support this research?
Migraine is much more than a severe headache. It is a brain disorder with unpleasant consequences. The attacks themselves are very annoying if you have a migraine. But you often also suffer from migraines when you are not having an attack. For example, because you are afraid that you will have another attack. More than a third of people with migraine feel less free in daily life. The Brain Foundation finances research and innovations so that there are more treatments that cure, stop or slow down brain disorders or improve the quality of life of people with a brain disorder. The aim of this research is to recognize characteristics of a migraine attack in time and to identify personal triggers. This way, people with migraine can recognize an attack in time and deal with it better. This research contributes to our mission: healthy brains for everyone.
The research project, called ‘Migraine@Home’, contributes to the scientific program Medical Neurodelta within which scientists from the LUMC, TU Delft and Erasmus MC work closely together in a Medical Delta context.
Image: TMSi
2023-09-12 08:04:21
#research #Suppressing #migraine #attack #starts
