Dopamine and prolactin in migraine: Mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets
Abstract
Migraine is a complex neurovascular disorder characterized by activation and sensitization of the trigeminovascular system. Hyperprolactinemia is associated with headache, and improvement following prolactin-lowering therapy has been reported in observational studies. Preclinical evidence indicates that prolactin promotes neuronal excitability and sensitization within trigeminal pathways, particularly in females. Downregulation of the protective long prolactin receptor isoform further increases susceptibility to migraine-relevant triggers. Prolactin secretion is under tonic inhibition by dopamine, a key hypothalamic regulator that also modulates central pain pathways. The role of dopamine in migraine pathophysiology is complex. On one hand, prodromal symptoms such as nausea and yawning are considered dopamine-mediated. On the other hand, experimental studies show that dopamine directly inhibits nociceptive trigeminovascular activity in addition to lowering prolactin. Dopamine receptor agonists are established treatments for hyperprolactinemia and have demonstrated a positive effect on hyperprolactinemia-associated headache. A recent placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial suggests that dopamine agonist treatment can be used as a preventive migraine treatment. In conclusion, prolactin and dopamine may modulate migraine via distinct but converging neuroendocrine pathways, which could represent targets for migraine prevention.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Calcium Ions in the Physiology and Pathology of the Central Nervous System
- AI-powered in silico twins: redefining precision medicine through simulation, personalization, and predictive healthcare
- In silico functional, structural and pathogenicity analysis of missense single nucleotide polymorphisms in human MCM6 gene
- In Silico drug repurposing pipeline using deep learning and structure based approaches in epilepsy
- Targeting serotonin receptors with phytochemicals – an in-silico study
- In silico exploration of anti-prostate cancer compounds from differential expressed genes
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.