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How Does Fasting Trigger Migraine? A Hypothesis

  • Migraine (R Cowan, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Fasting or skipping meals are well-characterized migraine triggers. However, mechanisms of the fasting-induced migraine headache are unclear. Here, we review the recent developments on brain glycogen metabolism and its modulation by sympathetic activity and propose that insufficient supply of glycogen-derived glucose at the onset of intense synaptic activity may lead to an imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory terminals, causing collective depolarization of neurons and astrocytes in a network. This may activate perivascular trigeminal afferents by opening neuronal pannexin1 channels and initiating parenchymal inflammatory pathways. Depending on whether or not network depolarization spreads or remains local, fasting may trigger migraine headache with or without aura.

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Dr. Turgay Dalkara and Dr. Kıvılcım Kılıç reported no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neurological Sciences and Psychiatry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Turgay Dalkara & Kıvılcım Kılıç

  2. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Turgay Dalkara

  3. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and, Institute of Neurological Sciences and Psychiatry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Turgay Dalkara

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  1. Turgay Dalkara
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  2. Kıvılcım Kılıç
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Correspondence to Turgay Dalkara.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Migraine

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Dalkara, T., Kılıç, K. How Does Fasting Trigger Migraine? A Hypothesis. Curr Pain Headache Rep 17, 368 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-013-0368-1

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