Migraine Hangover

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Migraine sufferers, beware. You may be more prone to an alcohol-induced hangover headache, according to researchers from the Jefferson Headache Center.

Until now, studying the causes of migraine and other forms of recurrent headaches has not been possible in an animal model, Michael Oshinsky, Ph.D., assistant professor of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, was quoted as saying. In order to facilitate the study of migraine, Dr. Oshinsky developed a rat model in which headaches were induced by repeatedly stimulating the brain's dura mater with an inflammatory mixture.

Dr. Oshinsky and colleagues studied the effects of alcohol on rats that suffered recurrent migraines and compared them to rats that did not get headaches. They analyzed four groups of rats. Two groups received repeated dural simulation, followed by an oral dose of saline or alcohol -- the rat equivalent of one to two shots. Two control groups received no inflammatory stimulation, and received similar oral doses of saline or alcohol.

Migraine headaches are characterized by hypersensitivity to light, sound and touch on the head and face. The researchers measured the rats' sensitivity to touch around the eye. They monitored the change in pain threshold of the face resulting from the repeated dural stimulation.

The rats receiving dural stimulation followed by alcohol showed an analgesic effect during the first two hours after ingesting alcohol. Four to six hours later, however, their pain sensitivity showed a marked increase. There were no changes in alcohol-induced sensitivity in the control groups.

"Our results suggest that dehydration or impurities in alcohol are not responsible for hangover headache," said Dr. Oshinsky. "Since these rats were sufficiently hydrated and the alcohol they received contained no impurities, the alcohol itself or a metabolite must be causing the hangover-like headache. These data confirm the clinical observation that people with migraine are more susceptible to alcohol-induced headaches."

SOURCE: Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, October 18, 2009

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