MIGRAINE HEADACHE

Course overview

MIGRAINE IS A GENETICALLY INFLUENCED COMPLEX DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY EPISODES OF MODERATE-TO-SEVERE HEADACHE, MOST OFTEN UNILATERAL AND GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH NAUSEA AND LIGHT AND SOUND SENSITIVITY. THE WORD MIGRAINE IS DERIVED FROM THE GREEK WORD "HEMIKRANIA," WHICH LATER WAS CONVERTED INTO LATIN AS "HEMIGRANEA." THE FRENCH TRANSLATION OF SUCH A TERM IS "MIGRAINE." IT IS A COMMON CAUSE OF DISABILITY AND LOSS OF WORK. MIGRAINE ATTACKS ARE COMPLEX BRAIN EVENTS THAT UNFOLD OVER HOURS TO DAYS IN A RECURRENT MATTER. THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF MIGRAINE IS WITHOUT AURA (75% OF CASES). THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF MIGRAINE AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.