Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Aug 29;20(1):91.
doi: 10.1186/s10194-019-1043-7.

Animal models of migraine and experimental techniques used to examine trigeminal sensory processing

Andrea M Harriott  1   2 , Lauren C Strother  3 , Marta Vila-Pueyo  3 , Philip R Holland  4
Affiliations
Review

Animal models of migraine and experimental techniques used to examine trigeminal sensory processing

Andrea M Harriott et al. J Headache Pain. .

Abstract

Background: Migraine is a common debilitating condition whose main attributes are severe recurrent headaches with accompanying sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting. Migraine-related pain is a major cause of its accompanying disability and can encumber almost every aspect of daily life.

Main body: Advancements in our understanding of the neurobiology of migraine headache have come in large from basic science research utilizing small animal models of migraine-related pain. In this current review, we aim to describe several commonly utilized preclinical models of migraine. We will discuss the diverse array of methodologies for triggering and measuring migraine-related pain phenotypes and highlight briefly specific advantages and limitations therein. Finally, we will address potential future challenges/opportunities to refine existing and develop novel preclinical models of migraine that move beyond migraine-related pain and expand into alternate migraine-related phenotypes.

Conclusion: Several well validated animal models of pain relevant for headache exist, the researcher should consider the advantages and limitations of each model before selecting the most appropriate to answer the specific research question. Further, we should continually strive to refine existing and generate new animal and non-animal models that have the ability to advance our understanding of head pain as well as non-pain symptoms of primary headache disorders.

Keywords: Animal models; Electrophysiology; Headache; Migraine; Pain; Preclinical; Translation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Selected models for assessing trigeminal sensory processing relevant to headache. Trigeminal afferents arising in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) convey sensory information from the intracranial and extracranial vasculature to the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC). Second-order ascending projections then relay this information to the thalamus in combination with projections to key brainstem and hypothalamic nuclei. This pathway can be activated via mechanical (MS), electrical (ES) or chemical (CS) stimuli. Evoked activation of the trigeminovascular system can then be recorded using a variety of methodologies including, in-vivo electrophysiology (in-vivo Ephys) or markers of neuronal activation (e.g. c-Fos) in the TNC or alternate brain regions. A trigeminal ganglion-skull cavity in-vitro preparation (Hemi-skull Prep) has also been developed to preserve some degree of trigeminal/meningeal interface. Alternatively, trigeminal afferents arising in the TG can be dissociated and studied in-vitro using in-vitro electrophysiology (In-vitro Ephys). Finally, periorbital mechanical and thermal (TS) withdrawal thresholds can be assessed in the conscious behaving rodent to model more accurately altered pain responses at the whole animal level
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Lipton RB, et al. Prevalence and burden of migraine in the United States: data from the American migraine study II. Headache. 2001;41(7):646–657. doi: 10.1046/j.1526-4610.2001.041007646.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gormley P, et al. Common variant burden contributes to the familial aggregation of migraine in 1,589 families. Neuron. 2018;99(5):1098. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.08.029. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Goadsby PJ, et al. Pathophysiology of migraine: a disorder of sensory processing. Physiol Rev. 2017;97(2):553–622. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00034.2015. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Agosti R. Migraine burden of disease: from the Patient’s experience to a socio-economic view. Headache. 2018;58(Suppl 1):17–32. doi: 10.1111/head.13301. - DOI - PubMed
    1. G. B. D. Headache Collaborators Global, regional, and national burden of migraine and tension-type headache, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2018;17(11):954–976. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30322-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed