Is your headache genetic?

Your family could quite literally be responsible for giving you a headache say scientists who have discovered a genetic defect that causes migraines.

The research, led by scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Functional Genomics Unit at the University of Oxford, has identified TRESK – a gene which can easily trigger headaches if it doesn’t function properly. The gene was discovered in a family who had a history of suffering from migraines.

“We have now made a major step forward in our understanding of why people suffer with migraine and how in certain cases, your family can quite literally give you a headache!” said Dr Zameel Cader from the MRC unit.

Previous research had identified parts of DNA that increase the risk in the general population, but had not found genes that are directly responsible for the common migraine, Cader continued.

The international research team used DNA samples from people with common familial migraine to identify the defective gene which was found to be directly attributable as a cause of migraines.

“What we’ve found is that migraines seem to depend on how sensitive our nerves are in the pain centres of the brain,” said Cader, “This finding should help lead to the key player which controls this excitability and will give us a real opportunity to find a new way to fight migraines and improve the quality of life for those suffering.”

The World Health Organisation rates migraine as the leading cause of disability worldwide – affecting one in five women and one in ten men – and it has been estimated to be the most costly neurological disorder in Europe. Migraines are triggered in sensitive pain areas of the brain and are severe, long-lasting headaches with a throbbing pain at the front or one side of the head. Some are accompanied by a warning visual disturbance, while others cause nausea and sensitivity to light.