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Part of the book series: Headache ((HEAD))

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Abstract

The pathophysiology of migraine is far from resolved. The current theory regards migraine as a complex multifactorial disorder, with both predisposing genetic factors and environmental factors contributing to the attacks [1]. Twin studies have reported that over half of the variation in migraine is attributable to a genetic component, while the remainder is attributable to unshared environmental factors [2–4]. Several studies have identified the role of some genes in the pathophysiology of migraine [5]; however, epigenetic mechanisms may play an important role in the etiology and phenotypic expression of migraine disorders, and these mechanisms may explain how non-genetic factors (such as female hormones, stress, and inflammation) may modulate the severity and frequency of the attacks [1].

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Correspondence to Noemi Faedda Ph.D. .

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Hershey, A.D., Guidetti, V., Faedda, N. (2017). Epigenetics. In: Guidetti, V., Arruda, M., Ozge, A. (eds) Headache and Comorbidities in Childhood and Adolescence. Headache. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54726-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54726-8_4

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