Genes and Pathways Linking PTSD and Migraine Identified

A study published today in Frontiers in Neuroscience has identified the common genes and signaling pathways that are likely involved in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and migraine, which often co-occur.

Six pairs of twins volunteered for the study, where both twins had experienced traumatic events, but only one of each pair lives with PTSD. The researchers also enrolled 15 pairs of twins where one of each pair experiences migraine headaches. The researchers took blood samples from the twins and analyzed them to detect epigenetic changes associated with PTSD or migraine.

"Our results suggest that common genes and signaling pathways are involved in PTSD and migraine and this might explain why PTSD and migraine can co-occur frequently," explained Prof Divya Mehta of the Queensland University of Technology, senior author on the study. "This might further imply that common environmental risk factors for both PTSD and migraine might be acting on these genes."

"These results may have implications for treatments, as one medicine or therapy might only be effective for a single disorder," said Mehta. "For co-occurring disorders such as PTSD and migraine, once we know which common genes are implicated in both disorders, we can develop new therapeutics to target these, thereby reducing symptoms and curing both."