SAN DIEGO — Migraine is the third most common neurological disorder worldwide, and yet reliable treatments remain elusive. Research hinting at new avenues for treatments will be presented at Neuroscience 2025, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
Migraines can lead to severe symptoms like head pain, sensitivity to light, nausea, and dizziness. Between 12% and 15% of the U.S. population suffers from the condition, with women disproportionately affected. It is a complex condition, and the exact cause isn't fully understood; current treatments don't provide adequate relief for many patients. Scientists are unpacking the neurological mechanisms of this disorder and spotlighting potential new methods for treatment.
Today’s new findings show that:
- In mice, chronic migraines caused the loss of GABA-producing brain cells that control nerve activity, but only in males, suggesting a sex-specific vulnerability and potential for targeted treatment. (Anju Vasudevan, Huntington Medical Research Institutes)
- Psilocybin (found in hallucinogenic mushrooms) significantly reduced hypersensitivity to touch in three different rat models of migraine, which may help scientists understand some of the pathways involved in the disorder. (Owein Guillemot-Legris, Transpharmation)
- Veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI) reporting migraines showed increased cortical thickness in a brain region processing visual information. A low-glutamate diet reduced brain thickness and migraine symptoms. (Ashley VanMeter, Georgetown University)
- Scientists developed a rat model of migraine using a nitric oxide donor compound to induce headache. Scientists used the model to test the effectiveness of a number of therapies. (Mark Urban, PsychoGenics)
“Migraine headache is a debilitating condition impacting millions of people worldwide that imposes an enormous personal, social, and economic burden,” said Ian Meng, PhD, professor of biomedical sciences, director of the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences (CEN) at the University of New England, and moderator of the press conference. “This research provides new insights into the potential causes of migraine and lays the groundwork for translating these findings into effective clinical treatments.”
For complete access to Neuroscience 2025 in-person and online, request media credentials. This research was supported by national funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health and private funding organizations.
Sunday, November 16, 2025
12:15–1:15 p.m. PST
San Diego Convention Center, Room 15A, and online for registered media
Migraine Press Conference Summary
- Two of the studies analyzed the causes of migraines: one examined the effects of chronic migraine on the brain and another studied cortical thickness in the visual cortex. A third addressed potential treatments using the psychedelic psilocybin. A final study identified a new area of study in producing migraine-like symptoms in a rodent model.
- Three out of the four studies used rodent models; one used human subjects with Gulf War Illness (GWI).
Selective vulnerability of GABAergic neurons in chronic migraine
Anju Vasudevan, Anju.Vasudevan@hmri.org, Abstract PSTR219.13
- Migraine has a strong genetic component, with one source of genetic susceptibility involving the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor. GABA is an inhibitory molecule which slows or stops brain nerve signals.
- After inducing chronic migraine in mice, researchers showed that male mice had reduced GABA-producing brain cells in regions that control pain, emotion, and cognition. As a result, their brains showed signs of sustained overactivity, cell death, and stress.
- This sex-specific vulnerability in the brain's response to migraines emphasizes the need for sex-specific studies and could lead to new ideas for targeted treatment.
Study of the effects of psilocybin in three rat preclinical models of migraine, insights from the trigeminovascular system
Owein Guillemot-Legris, owein.guillemot-legris@transpharmation.com, Abstract PSTR219.15
- In small clinical trials, psilocybin has been shown to reduce migraine intensity and regularity.
- Patients with migraine also exhibit hypersensitivity to painful stimuli. Scientists used three different rat models of acute migraine (glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide 38 (PACAP-38)) to independently study specific migraine-related pathways with the effects of psilocybin.
- Psilocybin significantly reduced hypersensitivity to painful touch in all three models. The researchers also measured inflammatory marker levels to characterize the effects of psilocybin. The results could help to understand the pathophysiology of the disorder and the potential therapeutic role of psilocybin.
Migraine symptoms and visual cortex thickness are significantly reduced following a 1-month low glutamate diet in veterans with Gulf War Illness
Ashley VanMeter, Ashley.VanMeter@georgetown.edu, Abstract PSTR219.25
- Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic condition that affects 25% of veterans who served in the conflict. Migraines affect 60% or more of people with GWI.
- Scientists examined the visual cortex of 57 GWI patients compared to 24 healthy controls. Veterans with GWI reported more migraines and had increased cortical thickness in the area of the brain which processes visual information.
- Researchers then tested a low-glutamate diet in 40 GWI veterans individuals and found a link to reduced brain thickness in the visual cortex and fewer migraine symptoms. This result supports a connection between dietary intake of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, and migraines via inflammation. While these results were in GWI veterans, it is possible that other migraineurs might benefit from this diet especially if they have suffered some kind of brain injury.
Characterization of the isosorbide dinitrate model of headache in male and female rats
Mark Urban, mark.urban@psychogenics.com, Abstract PSTR219.10
- In collaboration with the NIH HEAL Initiative Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP) program, researchers developed a rat model for migraine pain. Injecting a nitric oxide donor compound caused hypersensitivity to facial touch, a symptom of headache similar to migraine in humans.
- The scientists also tested the model with treatments for migraine including morphine; the migraine treatment sumatriptan, a drug in the new class of CGRP blockers for migraine (olcegepant); and a drug used for research purposes (SNC80) in a class of opioids that has shown promise for migraine treatment. All of these medications reduced the animals’ facial hypersensitivity.
- The result suggests that the model is useful for studying migraine and could be used to help develop potential treatments.
###
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an organization of nearly 30,000 basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and the nervous system.