Migraine

A migraine is a severe headache causing pain in the front or side of the head. In the UK, migraines affect about 15% of the population and the headaches are three times more common among women than men. Migraines usually first start in young adulthood but it is possible for the headaches to start later in life.

What are Migraines?

Migraine is a severe form of headache felt as a throbbing pain at the front or side of the head. Migraines may also be accompanied by other symptoms such as a sensitivity to light or nausea.

Migraine History

Migraine Pathophysiology

Migraine Diagnosis

Migraine with Aura vs. Migraine without Aura

Do Migraines Increase Risk of Stroke?

Can Weather or Air Pollution Trigger Migraine?

Body Posture and Migraines

Can Meditation Help Migraines?

Migraine Treatments

Is There a Link Between Migraine and the Gut Microbiome?

Migraine is Just like Asthma. No, Really.

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Migraines and Dementia

Common Migraine Triggers

Can Contact Lenses Cause Headaches?

Does Exercise Help or Worsen Migraines?

What are Disease Modifying Migraine Drugs (DMMDs)?

Migraine Symptoms

Migraine research

Can Reflexology Help Ease Migraines?

What Foods Can Cause Migraines?

Differences Between an Aneurysm and Migraine

Migraine and the Heart

Economic Impact of Migraines

Latest Migraine News and Research

Improving biological age gap may help protect long-term brain health

Improving the gap between your biological age and your chronological age is associated with a lower risk of stroke and improvements in signs of damage in the brain, according to a preliminary study released March 5, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

5 Mar 2026

Youth football accounts for nearly one in five sports-related brain injuries

Youth football accounts for the largest share of sports‑related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children and young adults, nearly one in every five TBIs, according to a preliminary study released March 4, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

5 Mar 2026

Wearable sensors as a tool for MS monitoring

Wearable sensors may help identify people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are more likely to have worsening disability and loss of brain volume, according to a study published on March 4th, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Mar 2026

Canadian wildfire pollution associated with increased stroke severity

Short-term surges in air pollution in New Jersey from the 2023 Canadian wildfires were associated with a higher stroke rate and more serious strokes, according to a preliminary study released March 3, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

3 Mar 2026

Study finds association between groundwater age and Parkinson’s risk

People whose drinking water came from newer groundwater had a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease than those whose drinking water came from older groundwater, according to a preliminary study released March 2, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

2 Mar 2026

The surprising neurological benefits of GLP-1s

For people with chronic migraine, taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 drugs, for other conditions such as diabetes and weight loss, was associated with fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations overall, and with less need for medications used to stop and prevent migraine attacks, according to a preliminary study released March 1, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

2 Mar 2026

To avoid care disruptions, know when the clock runs out on your prior authorization

A woman with multiple sclerosis wanted to be able to walk up the stairs at home without losing her balance.

27 Feb 2026

Solving the mystery of a year-long pain crisis

Taffy Hopkins, 73, was in debilitating pain for a year, leaving her bedridden. The Palm Beach resident had been told she was simply experiencing migraines, but the migraine medications did not work and left her suffering, with no answers in sight. After seeking care at NYU Langone Medical Associates—West Palm Beach, 1515 North Flagler Drive, she finally received a diagnosis—and relief.

26 Feb 2026

Rising vitamin K shot refusal increases newborn brain injury risk

Increasing numbers of parents are refusing vitamin K shots for their newborns, putting infants at greater risk of avoidable brain injuries, according to a preliminary systematic review released February 26, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

26 Feb 2026

Morning chronotype and exercise associated with reduced ALS risk

Being an early bird, also called a morning person, and being more physically active are associated with lower risks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a preliminary study released February 25, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

25 Feb 2026

Smoking status influences Parkinson's disease risk and mortality outcomes

A new study of smokers finds that currently smoking is associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease, but quitting smoking was associated with a lower risk of death.

25 Feb 2026

Study finds brain changes related to worse memory in football players with repetitive head impacts

In former college and professional football players, a new study has found higher levels of inflammation were associated with worse brain structure, which in turn was related to worse memory.

25 Feb 2026

Prenatal lead exposure linked to lower cognition six decades later

Exposure to lead before birth is associated with lower performance 60 years later on tests of thinking and memory skills in female participants, according to a study published on February 18, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

18 Feb 2026

Lifelong learning associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

Engaging in a variety of intellectually stimulating activities throughout life, such as reading, writing and learning a language, is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and slower cognitive decline, according to a new study published on February 11, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Feb 2026

Traumatic brain injury linked to long-term work disability

Having a traumatic brain injury, no matter how serious, is associated with a greater likelihood of qualifying for work disability up to five years later, according to a study published February 11, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Feb 2026

Mediterranean diet may protect women against all stroke types

Following a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of all types of stroke among women, according to a study published on February 4, 2026, in Neurology Open Access, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Feb 2026

Social media support may ease anxiety in young adults

Anxiety is the second leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Roughly a third of adults in the U.S. will experience an anxiety disorder within their lifetime, and the median age of onset is 17 years old.

3 Feb 2026

Cannabis shows anti-migraine benefits

In a recent study, published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine demonstrate for the first time in a placebo-controlled clinical trial that cannabis is effective to treat acute migraine.

30 Jan 2026

Antidepressant use does not worsen early outcomes after traumatic brain injury

Taking certain antidepressants at the time of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not associated with an increased risk of death, brain surgery or longer hospital stays, according to a study published on January 28, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Jan 2026

New 2026 guideline expands access to advanced acute ischemic stroke care

Expanded eligibility for advanced stroke therapies and new recommendations for diagnosing and treating stroke in children and adults are among the major updates in the new 2026 Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke from the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, published today in the Association's flagship journal Stroke.

26 Jan 2026