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Gender and Neurosteroids: Implications for Brain Function, Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054758. [PMID: 36902197 PMCID: PMC10003563 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurosteroids are synthesized de novo in the nervous system; they mainly moderate neuronal excitability, and reach target cells via the extracellular pathway. The synthesis of neurosteroids occurs in peripheral tissues such as gonads tissues, liver, and skin; then, because of their high lipophilia, they cross the blood-brain barrier and are stored in the brain structure. Neurosteroidogenesis occurs in brain regions such as the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala by enzymes necessary for the in situ synthesis of progesterone from cholesterol. Neurosteroids could be considered the main players in both sexual steroid-induced hippocampal synaptic plasticity and normal transmission in the hippocampus. Moreover, they show a double function of increasing spine density and enhancing long term potentiation, and have been related to the memory-enhancing effects of sexual steroids. Estrogen and progesterone affect neuronal plasticity differently in males and females, especially regarding changes in the structure and function of neurons in different regions of the brain. Estradiol administration in postmenopausal women allowed for improving cognitive performance, and the combination with aerobic motor exercise seems to enhance this effect. The paired association between rehabilitation and neurosteroids treatment could provide a boosting effect in order to promote neuroplasticity and therefore functional recovery in neurological patients. The aim of this review is to investigate the mechanisms of action of neurosteroids as well as their sex-dependent differences in brain function and their role in neuroplasticity and rehabilitation.
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Contribution of tetrodotoxin-resistant persistent Na + currents to the excitability of C-type dural afferent neurons in rats. J Headache Pain 2022; 23:73. [PMID: 35764917 PMCID: PMC9238149 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-022-01443-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growing evidence supports the important role of persistent sodium currents (INaP) in the neuronal excitability of various central neurons. However, the role of tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) Na+ channel-mediated INaP in the neuronal excitability of nociceptive neurons remains poorly understood. METHODS We investigated the functional role of TTX-R INaP in the excitability of C-type nociceptive dural afferent neurons, which was identified using a fluorescent dye, 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchloride (DiI), and a whole-cell patch-clamp technique. RESULTS TTX-R INaP were found in most DiI-positive neurons, but their density was proportional to neuronal size. Although the voltage dependence of TTX-R Na+ channels did not differ among DiI-positive neurons, the extent of the onset of slow inactivation, recovery from inactivation, and use-dependent inhibition of these channels was highly correlated with neuronal size and, to a great extent, the density of TTX-R INaP. In the presence of TTX, treatment with a specific INaP inhibitor, riluzole, substantially decreased the number of action potentials generated by depolarizing current injection, suggesting that TTX-R INaP are related to the excitability of dural afferent neurons. In animals treated chronically with inflammatory mediators, the density of TTX-R INaP was significantly increased, and it was difficult to inactivate TTX-R Na+ channels. CONCLUSIONS TTX-R INaP apparently contributes to the differential properties of TTX-R Na+ channels and neuronal excitability. Consequently, the selective modulation of TTX-R INaP could be, at least in part, a new approach for the treatment of migraine headaches.
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Fila M, Jablkowska A, Pawlowska E, Blasiak J. DNA Damage and Repair in Migraine: Oxidative Stress and Beyond. Neuroscientist 2022; 29:277-286. [PMID: 35658694 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221090836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Energy generation in the brain to ameliorate energy deficit in migraine leads to oxidative stress as it is associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may damage DNA and show a pronociceptive action in meninges mediated by transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily A member 1 (TRPA1). Recent studies show high levels of single-strand breaks (SSBs) at specific sites in the genome of postmitotic neurons and point at SSB repair (SSBR) as an important element of homeostasis of the central nervous system. DNA topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) is stabilized in the DNA damage-inducing state by neuronal stimulation, including cortical spreading depression. Impairment in poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) and X-ray repair cross complementing 1 (XRCC1), key SSBR proteins, may be linked with migraine by transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2). TRPM2 may also mediate the involvement of migraine-related neuroinflammation with PARP-1 activated by oxidative stress-related SSBs. In conclusion, aberrant activity of SSBR evoked by compromised PARP-1 and XRCC1 may contribute to pathological phenomena in the migraine brain. Such aberrant SSBR results in the lack of repair or misrepair of SSBs induced by ROS or resulting from impaired TOP1. Therefore, components of SSBR may be considered a prospective druggable target in migraine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Fila
- Department of Developmental Neurology and Epileptology, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital Research Institute, Lodz, Poland
| | | | | | - Janusz Blasiak
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
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Martelletti P, Curto M. Cluster Headache is Still Lurking in the Shadows. Pain Ther 2021; 10:777-781. [PMID: 34091819 PMCID: PMC8586408 DOI: 10.1007/s40122-021-00278-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cluster headache, apart from its legendary reputation as the most violent headache that can exist, suffers from an average 60-month delay in diagnosis. The simplicity of the clinical manifestations, although dramatic, makes this delay inexplicable. The education of emergency department physicians and various specialists not specifically dedicated to headaches allows cluster headache to remain in a lurking position with flourishing periods of disease that are often unpredictable in both onset and disappearance. Older drugs have always shown high efficacy but also an equally high rate of adverse events, often discouraging their appropriate use. The availability of a new drug class such as monoclonal antibodies for calcitonin gene-related peptide or its receptor (CGRP(r)), which have already been efficient for migraine, shows a jeopardized geography of access in the world, and this favors the progression of the episodic form into chronic and of the chronic into refractory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Martelletti
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
- Regional Referral Headache Centre, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
| | - Martina Curto
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- International Consortium for Mood Psychotic and Mood Disorders Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Mental Health, ASL Roma 3, Centro di Salute Mentale XI Municipio, Rome, Italy
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Luo J. Association between migraine and anxiety symptoms: Results from the study of women's health across the nation. J Affect Disord 2021; 295:1229-1233. [PMID: 34706437 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to examine the relationship between migraine and anxiety in US midlife women. METHODS This study was conducted on the baseline data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multi-site longitudinal population-based study of the US midlife women. Logistic regression was performed to assess the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between migraine and anxiety, adjusting for the main potential confounders. RESULTS A total of 3,302 midlife women aged from 42 to 52 with complete assessment of migraine and anxiety were enrolled. In both the crude model (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.19-1.82, p < 0.001) and model 1 (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04-1.64, p = 0.022) indicated that anxiety was positive associated with migraine. After adjustment for age, ethnicity, family income, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, menopausal status, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, follicle-stimulating hormone, sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone, and thyroid stimulating hormone in full adjusted model 2, the association between migraine and anxiety remained statistically significant (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.01-1.61, p = 0.038). CONCLUSION Migraine may be positively associated with anxiety in middle-aged women. Further large-scale prospective cohort studies are needed to investigate the causality between migraine and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Luo
- Department of Clinical and Public Health, School of Health and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai'an, Jiangsu 223300, China.
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van Casteren DS, Verhagen IE, van der Arend BWH, van Zwet EW, MaassenVanDenBrink A, Terwindt GM. Comparing Perimenstrual and Nonperimenstrual Migraine Attacks Using an e-Diary. Neurology 2021; 97:e1661-e1671. [PMID: 34493613 PMCID: PMC8605615 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000012723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Endogenous and exogenous female sex hormones are considered important contributors to migraine pathophysiology. Previous studies have cautiously suggested that perimenstrual migraine attacks have a longer duration and are associated with higher disability compared to nonperimenstrual attacks, but they showed conflicting results on acute therapy efficacy, pain intensity, and associated symptoms. We compared perimenstrual and nonperimenstrual migraine attack characteristics and assessed premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in women with migraine. METHODS Women with migraine were invited to complete a headache e-diary. Characteristics of perimenstrual attacks and nonperimenstrual attacks were compared. The primary outcome was attack duration. Secondary outcomes were headache intensity, accompanying symptoms, acute medication intake, and pain coping. Mixed effects models were used to account for multiple attacks within patients. PMS was assessed in patients without hormonal contraceptives. Subgroup analyses were performed for women with menstrually related migraine (MRM) and nonmenstrually related migraine (non-MRM) and women with a natural menstrual cycle and women using hormonal contraceptives. RESULTS A representative group of 500 participants completed the e-diary for at least 1 month. Perimenstrual migraine attacks (n = 998) compared with nonperimenstrual attacks (n = 4097) were associated with longer duration (20.0 vs 16.1 hours, 95% confidence interval 0.2-0.4), higher recurrence risk (odds ratio [OR] 2.4 [2.0-2.9]), increased triptan intake (OR 1.2 [1.1-1.4]), higher headache intensity (OR 1.4 [1.2-1.7]), less pain coping (mean difference -0.2 [-0.3 to -0.1]), more pronounced photophobia (OR 1.3 [1.2-1.4]) and phonophobia (OR 1.2 [1.1-1.4]), and less aura (OR 0.8 [0.6-1.0]). In total, 396/500 women completed the diary for ≥3 consecutive menstrual cycles, of whom 56% (221/396) fulfilled MRM criteria. Differences in attack characteristics became more pronounced when focusing on women with MRM and women using hormonal contraceptives. Prevalence of PMS was not different for women with MRM compared to non-MRM (11% vs 15%). DISCUSSION The longer duration of perimenstrual migraine attacks in women (with MRM) is associated with higher recurrence risk and increased triptan use. This may increase the risk of medication overuse and emphasizes the need to develop female-specific prophylactic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphne S van Casteren
- From the Departments of Neurology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., G.M.T.) and Medical Statistics (E.W.Z.), Leiden University Medical Center; and Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., A.M.V.D.B.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Iris E Verhagen
- From the Departments of Neurology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., G.M.T.) and Medical Statistics (E.W.Z.), Leiden University Medical Center; and Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., A.M.V.D.B.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Britt W H van der Arend
- From the Departments of Neurology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., G.M.T.) and Medical Statistics (E.W.Z.), Leiden University Medical Center; and Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., A.M.V.D.B.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Erik W van Zwet
- From the Departments of Neurology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., G.M.T.) and Medical Statistics (E.W.Z.), Leiden University Medical Center; and Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., A.M.V.D.B.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Antoinette MaassenVanDenBrink
- From the Departments of Neurology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., G.M.T.) and Medical Statistics (E.W.Z.), Leiden University Medical Center; and Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., A.M.V.D.B.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gisela M Terwindt
- From the Departments of Neurology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., G.M.T.) and Medical Statistics (E.W.Z.), Leiden University Medical Center; and Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology (D.S.C., I.E.V., B.W.H.A., A.M.V.D.B.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Ferreira KS, Dhillon H, Velly AM. The role of a potential biomarker in patients with migraine: review and new insights. Expert Rev Neurother 2021; 21:817-831. [PMID: 34210227 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2021.1951236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: The search for an ideal biomarker for migraine has persisted for a long time. There is plentiful evidence of potential biomarkers for migraine found in cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and saliva.Areas covered: Herein, the authors highlight and discuss the most promising candidates in the literature. An electronic search was performed for studies published between 2010 and 2020 in MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, related to potential biomarkers in migraine patients, found in cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, and serum, focusing on biomarkers that can be related to treatment and clinical outcomes.Expert opinion: An ideal biomarker, or a panel of biomarkers, could revolutionize the way we address and propose treatments for this disease. Once severe presentations and phenotypes have been identified using a reliable biomarker, patients could be treated at earlier disease stages with more specific medications. The most important biomarkers with the most significant levels of evidence comprised calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), glutamate, nerve growth factor, some inflammatory (CRP, TNF-α, interleukins) and oxidative stress markers. CGRP was associated with episodic, chronic migraine and response to treatment. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide is an emerging neuropeptide involved in migraine diagnostics and severity. New genetic and epigenetic biomarkers will be candidates for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Harjot Dhillon
- Department of Dentistry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ana Miriam Velly
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Department of Dentistry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Quebec, Montreal, Canada
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Li R, Chapman BP, Smith SM. Blood Dehydroepiandrosterone and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate as Pathophysiological Correlates of Chronic Pain: Analyses Using a National Sample of Midlife Adults in the United States. PAIN MEDICINE 2021; 22:243-254. [PMID: 33249441 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnaa345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Identifying biomarkers is a priority in translational chronic pain research. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated form, DHEA-S, are adrenocortical steroids in the blood with neuroprotective properties that also produce sex hormones. They may capture key sex-specific neuroendocrine mechanisms of chronic pain. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. METHODS Using data from 1,216 community-dwelling adults aged 34-84 from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) cohort, we examined blood DHEA and DHEA-S levels in association with chronic pain in men and women, adjusting for demographics, chronic diseases, medications including opioids, and psychosocial factors. If an association was found, we further explored dose-response relationships by the number of pain locations and the degree of pain interference. RESULTS In women, chronic pain was associated with 0.072 lower (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.127 to -0.017) log10 DHEA-S µg/dL, with pain in one to two locations associated with 0.068 lower (95% CI, -0.131 to -0.006) and in three or more locations 0.071 lower (95% CI, -0.148 to 0.007) log10 DHEA-S (P for trend = 0.074). Furthermore for women, low-interference pain was associated with 0.062 lower (95% CI, -0.125 to -0.000), whereas high-interference pain was associated with 0.138 lower (95% CI, -0.233 to -0.043) log10 DHEA-S (P for trend = 0.004). Chronic pain was not associated with DHEA or DHEA-S levels in men or DHEA levels in women. CONCLUSIONS Chronic pain and its functional interference correspond to lower blood DHEA-S levels in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Li
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Benjamin P Chapman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Shannon M Smith
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
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Rustichelli C, Bellei E, Bergamini S, Monari E, Baraldi C, Castro FL, Tomasi A, Ferrari A. Serum levels of allopregnanolone, progesterone and testosterone in menstrually-related and postmenopausal migraine: A cross-sectional study. Cephalalgia 2020; 40:1355-1362. [PMID: 32588652 PMCID: PMC7575305 DOI: 10.1177/0333102420937742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Reduced blood or cerebrospinal fluid levels of allopregnanolone are involved in menstrual cycle-linked CNS disorders, such as catamenial epilepsy. This condition, like menstrually-related migraine, is characterized by severe, treatment-resistant attacks. We explored whether there were differences in allopregnanolone, progesterone and testosterone serum levels between women with menstrually-related migraine (MM, n = 30) or postmenopausal migraine without aura who had suffered from menstrually-related migraine during their fertile age (PM, n = 30) and non-headache control women in fertile age (FAC, n = 30) or post-menopause (PC, n = 30). Methods Participants were women with migraine afferent to a headache centre; controls were female patients’ acquaintances. Serum samples obtained were analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Results In menstrually-related migraine and postmenopausal migraine groups, allopregnanolone levels were lower than in the respective control groups (fertile age and post-menopause) (p < 0.001, one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey-Kramer post-hoc comparison test) while progesterone and testosterone levels were similar. By grouping together patients with migraine, allopregnanolone levels were inversely correlated with the number of years and days of migraine/3 months (p ≤ 0.005, linear regression analysis). Conclusion Decreased GABAergic inhibition, due to low allopregnanolone serum levels, could contribute to menstrually-related migraine and persistence of migraine after menopause. For the management of these disorders, a rise in the GABAergic transmission by increasing inhibitory neurosteroids might represent a novel strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Rustichelli
- Department of Life Sciences, 9306University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisa Bellei
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance, 9306University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Bergamini
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance, 9306University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Emanuela Monari
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance, 9306University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Carlo Baraldi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, 9306University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Flavia Lo Castro
- School of Pharmacology and Clinical Toxicology, 9306University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Aldo Tomasi
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance, 9306University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Anna Ferrari
- Unit of Medical Toxicology, Headache Centre and Drug Abuse; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, 9306University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Renner T, Sollmann N, Heinen F, Albers L, Trepte-Freisleder F, Klose B, König H, Krieg SM, Bonfert MV, Landgraf MN. Alleviation of migraine symptoms by application of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation to myofascial trigger points of neck and shoulder muscles - A randomized trial. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5954. [PMID: 32249788 PMCID: PMC7136237 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62701-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Migraine is a burdensome disease with an especially high prevalence in women between the age of 15 and 49 years. Non-pharmacological, non-invasive therapeutic methods to control symptoms are increasingly in demand to complement a multimodal intervention approach in migraine. Thirty-seven subjects (age: 25.0 ± 4.1 years; 36 females) diagnosed with high-frequency episodic migraine who presented at least one active myofascial trigger point (mTrP) in the trapezius muscles and at least one latent mTrP in the deltoid muscles bilaterally prospectively underwent six sessions of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) over two weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to receive rPMS applied to the mTrPs of the trapezius (n = 19) or deltoid muscles (n = 18). Whereas the trapezius muscle is supposed to be part of the trigemino-cervical complex (TCC) and, thus, involved in the pathophysiology of migraine, the deltoid muscle was not expected to interfere with the TCC and was therefore chosen as a control stimulation site. The headache calendar of the German Migraine and Headache Society (DMKG) as well as the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire were used to evaluate stimulation-related effects. Frequency of headache days decreased significantly in both the trapezius and the deltoid group after six sessions of rPMS (trapezius group: p = 0.005; deltoid group: p = 0.003). The MIDAS score decreased significantly from 29 to 13 points (p = 0.0004) in the trapezius and from 31 to 15 points (p = 0.002) in the deltoid group. Thus, rPMS applied to mTrPs of neck and shoulder muscles offers a promising approach to alleviate headache frequency and symptom burden. Future clinical trials are needed to examine more profoundly these effects, preferably using a sham-controlled setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabea Renner
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Nico Sollmann
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
- TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Florian Heinen
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Lucia Albers
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Trepte-Freisleder
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Birgit Klose
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Helene König
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Sandro M Krieg
- Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Michaela V Bonfert
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Mirjam N Landgraf
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU - University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
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Giatti S, Diviccaro S, Serafini MM, Caruso D, Garcia-Segura LM, Viviani B, Melcangi RC. Sex differences in steroid levels and steroidogenesis in the nervous system: Physiopathological role. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 56:100804. [PMID: 31689419 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system, in addition to be a target for steroid hormones, is the source of a variety of neuroactive steroids, which are synthesized and metabolized by neurons and glial cells. Recent evidence indicates that the expression of neurosteroidogenic proteins and enzymes and the levels of neuroactive steroids are different in the nervous system of males and females. We here summarized the state of the art of neuroactive steroids, particularly taking in consideration sex differences occurring in the synthesis and levels of these molecules. In addition, we discuss the consequences of sex differences in neurosteroidogenesis for the function of the nervous system under healthy and pathological conditions and the implications of neuroactive steroids and neurosteroidogenesis for the development of sex-specific therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Giatti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Diviccaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Melania Maria Serafini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Luis Miguel Garcia-Segura
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Barbara Viviani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto C Melcangi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
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