🧠 New paper! We explored how spreading depolarization (SD), observed in stroke, traumatic brain injury & migraine aura, trigger inflammation, and whether an increased inflammatory state can alter SD responses. Understanding this link could reveal new ways to protect the brain: rdcu.be/evCF2

6/ Could this help patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH)? We think so! More work is needed, but these findings open doors for new headache treatments.
📖 Full study: doi.org/10.1093/brai...
#Neuroscience #Headache #IIH #Migraine #GLP1 #CGRP

5/ Key takeaways:
🔹 Raised ICP disrupts brain blood flow & pain processing.
🔹 Lowering ICP (GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic) reduces pain.
🔹 Blocking CGRP stops headache—even if ICP stays high!
This supports a dual approach to treating ICP-related headaches

4/ What about CGRP? Since CGRP blockers work in migraine, we tested olcegepant. ⚡
❗ Even without lowering ICP, CGRP blockade prevented headache pain.
This suggests CGRP drives pain in raised ICP conditions.

3/ Could lowering ICP reverse these effects? We tested exenatide (GLP-1 agonist):
✅ Lowered ICP (~18mmHg → ~9mmHg)
✅ Improved pain thresholds
✅ Restored brain blood flow & neurovascular function

2/ With raised ICP (📈 ~6mmHg → ~16mmHg), animals became more pain-sensitive and showed:
❌ Prolonged spreading depolarization
❌ Reduced brain blood flow
❌ Depleted energy metabolites (ATP, NAD+)
These changes disrupt neurovascular function & pain pathways.

1/ Raised ICP is linked to headache and altered brain blood flow, but how they interact is unclear. We developed a model of raised ICP to explore this & tested whether:
✅ Lowering ICP (GLP-1 receptor agonist 💉)
✅ Blocking CGRP (migraine drug ⚡)
could relieve headache pain

🚨 New paper alert! 🚨 Thrilled to share our latest research in Brain on raised intracranial pressure (ICP), headache, and potential new treatments! 🧠💊 doi.org/10.1093/brai... a thread of our study 🪡