SEROTONERGIC, CATECHOLAMINERGIC, AND CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIONS TO MENTAL STRESS IN FEMALE MIGRAINE PATIENTS - A CONTROLLED-STUDY

This study aimed at the combined assessment of the serotonergic and sy mpathetic nervous system reactions of migraine patients before, during , and after the induction of mental stress in order to detect the poss ible role of these reactions in inducing a migraine attack. The respon ses to mental stress of the migraine patients were compared to a group of patients suffering from tension headache and a control group, Acti vation of the sympathoadrenomedullary system due to mental stress was successfully induced in the migraine patients (n = 23), in the tension headache patients (n = 18), and in the control group (n = 22). The re sults of this study present evidence of increased cardiovascular activ ity in migraine patients as compared to nonmigraineurs. However, no ev idence was found of a specific serotonergic, sympathoadrenomedullary, or cerebrovascular response of migraine patients to mental stress as c ompared to nonmigraineurs.