GABA and glutamate changes over time in children with migraine

Motivation: Adolescence is a transitory time for migraine in youth. However, there is a lack of research into interactions between brain chemistry changes and migraine progression across adolescence. Goal(s): Assess the relationship between changes in glutamate and GABA, and migraine burden during adolescence. Approach: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to measure glutamate and GABA levels in youth with and without migraine across two timepoints (on average, 3 years apart). Results: A decrease in thalamic GABA levels over time was related to new onset migraine in previously unaffected adolescents and worsening of migraine impact in those who already had migraine. Impact: This longitudinal study demonstrates a role for changes in thalamic GABA levels over time in migraine burden in adolescents, providing new evidence for a role of GABA in migraine onset and progression, and a potential opportunity for new treatment targets.