The hunt is intensifying for new treatments for migraines, the common and debilitating headaches that have confounded scientists for decades. Of greatest focus for researchers is a brain chemical known as CGRP, which appears to play a role in the transmission of pain, but not in other brain functions, such as cognition or mood…There isn't such a thing as a "regular" headache, but rather more than 300 types, says David Dodick, a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic's branch in Phoenix and chairman of the American Migraine Foundation. People having migraines usually experience intense pain, sensitivity to light, dizziness and sometimes nausea and visual and sensory symptoms called auras.

Wall Street Journal by Shirley Wang

Tags: American Migraine Foundation, CGRP, Dr. David Dodick, Mayo Clinic Arizona, migraines, Neurology, Wall Street Journal