Hormone Receptors in the Brain Could Be a Target To Ease Migraines

August 9, 2024 By Bryan McKenzie, bkm4s@virginia.edu Bryan McKenzie, bkm4s@virginia.edu

A throbbing headache, turning stomach, skin so sensitive that just wearing clothes hurts, and fluorescent lights that seem to stab your eyes: That’s how nearly 30 million Americans who suffer from migraines sometimes feel.

Experts say that three times as many women than men suffer from the sometimes-debilitating headaches. Recent research by the University of Virginia’s Jaideep Kapur, the Eugene Meyer III Professor of Neuroscience, and colleague Suchitra Joshi, associate professor of neurology at the UVA School of Medicine, shows that the gender imbalance could be related to menstruation.

“Migraines often occur around the menstrual cycle, during which reproductive hormones such as progesterone and estrogen rise and fall. The levels of both these hormones are low during the perimenstrual period,” the professors wrote in a recent article in The Conversation.

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The researchers study how progesterone regulates neuronal function in health and focused on understanding how the hormone and its receptors affect the brain. The recent research found that progesterone may make women more susceptible to migraines during menstruation.

Jaideep Kapur, left, and colleague Suchitra Joshi say that progesterone receptors in the brain may be a therapy target.

Jaideep Kapur, left, and colleague Suchitra Joshi say that progesterone receptors in the brain may be a therapy target. (Photos by University Communications, left, and UVA Department of Neurology)

“Our study identifies progesterone receptors in the brain as one reason women are susceptible to migraines,” they wrote. “Cyclical changes in progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle activate the receptor, which can precipitate migraines.”

Kapur and Joshi wrote that their research shows the progesterone receptor is a potential drug target for preventing or treating migraines. 

“As our team continues to study how progesterone receptors increase pain sensitivity, we hope to uncover new ways to treat migraine headaches,” they wrote. 

Read the full story here.

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Bryan McKenzie

Assistant Editor, UVA Today Office of University Communications