Migraine a common recurrent headache disorder is known to be a leading cause of disability across the globe. One third attacks that last from four to 72 hours supposedly accompany neurological disturbances termed as aura. Such neurological disturbances are probably visual like flashing hallucinations and black spots. A latest research initiated by the Griffith University has apparently discovered that migraine with aura along with visual disturbances is caused by a faulty gene.
Researchers supposedly laid hands on a mutation within the KCNK18 gene which affects the TRESK protein. This protein seems to control pain pathways along with the threshold of sensitivity pain centers in the brain. In previous investigations, scientists claimed to have found genes linked with migraine risk. It was suggested that the faulty gene directly triggers migraine in a large multi-generational family. Claimed to be a novel finding, an inheritance pattern for this gene defect that could be the precise cause of the debilitating condition was noticed by Professor Lyn Griffiths Director of Griffith Health Institute and colleagues.
Investigators compared the DNA of people who suffered from migraines with that of people who do not. It appeared that one large family of migraine sufferers with aura carried the mutation. A family of over four generations was observed to have the gene mutation. All the members suffered from migraines and it may be a dominant gene, so a single copy of the mutation led to the disorder. TRESK seems to be a hallmark in nerve cell communication, and its pathways highlight vital clues for migraine treatment. Further investigations can be undertaken for ascertaining how commonly people with migraine are affected by the mutation.
The research was published in the medical journal Nature Medicine.