About
Clinical Instructor
Department of Neurology
UCLA
Project title: Examining the modulatory role of the sleep-wake cycle and adenosine in migraine - a focus on cortical spreading depression and sensory sensitivity
Mentors:
Andrew Charles, MD, PhD - UCLA
Guido Faas, PhD – UCLA
Multidisciplinary Expertise:
Migraine pathophysiology, Sleep physiology, Astrocyte signaling
Project Description:
Migraine is a chronic and disabling condition characterized by recurrent and severe headache pain. Migraine is common, affecting 1 out of every 5 Americans, and carries a significant economic and health burden in the United States and worldwide. Clinically, migraine and sleep disturbances are often co-morbid. While migraine attacks can be triggered by sleep deprivation, migraine headache is commonly relieved by sleep. Despite both clinical and pre-clinical evidence illustrating a role for sleep in migraine pathophysiology, there remains a lack of understanding of the molecular and cellular players that exert sleep-induced changes on migraine susceptibility. Utilizing novel micro-electronic technologies, this project works to clarify the complex relationship between the sleep-wake cycle and two key aspects of migraine pathophysiology – cortical spreading depression and sensory sensitivity. By examining the role of adenosine, a drug-modifiable target, in modulating sleep-related changes in migraine pathophysiology, this project aims to identify novel therapeutic targets for migraine.