Archives: Summit Talks

The Science of Light Sensitivity and How to Manage It

Key Questions
  • How common is light sensitivity (photophobia) in people living with migraine disease?
  • Can people who are blind and also living with migraine disease be light sensitive?
  • How is migraine disease related to the optic nerve?
  • How do different colors/types of light impact migraine attacks?
  • Is it common for people living with other headache disorders to experience light sensitivity?  Why, or why not?
  • Are there any colors/types of light that are beneficial for people living with migraine disease?
  • What is green light and why should people living with migraine be excited about it?
  • Does filtering out specific colors/types of light really help with migraine attacks?
Interview Notes

Food and Nutrition For Migraine

Key Questions
  • Is there a migraine diet, or a diet specific for people with migraine?
  • Is the research on diet and migraine reliable?
  • What is inflammation, and how does it relate to pain?
  • Why are processed foods bad for us?
  • How do sugars promote inflammation?
  • Are dairy foods pro-inflammatory?
  • How do we determine which foods could cause migraine?
  • What herbs or spices are recommended for migraine?
  • What are some “migraine superfoods”?
  • What are some good foods to eat during a migraine?
  • Will migraine treatments in the future include a recommended diet?
Interview Notes

The Latest New Treatment Innovations

Key Questions
  • The International Headache Society recently titled its conference “Dawn of New Headache Treatments.” What makes this such an important time for migraine?
  • How do the new CGRP drugs — Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality, and Vyepti — work?
  • What are some of the side effects of these medications?
  • How are people responding to the new CGRP drugs, now that a few hundred thousand have tried them?
  • Is there anyone who should not use the CGRP medications?
  • What is the mechanism behind some of the neuromodulation devices, such as the Nerivio, CEFALY, gammaCore, and sTMS devices?
  • How safe and how effective are neuromodulation devices?
  • What can you tell us about the new class of acute medication coming out, the ditans?
  • Will taking a ditan feel different than what taking a triptan feels like for some people with migraine?
  • What can you tell us about yet another class of medication coming out, the gepants?
  • How do these new classes of drugs, the gepants and ditans, differ from triptans?
Interview Notes

Pain, Memory and Migraine

Key Questions
  • Do other types of chronic pain impair cognitive functioning?
  • Does chronic pain damage the brain?
  • Are there changes in the brain of people with migraine?
  • What is happening when we have brain fog?
  • Why does cognitive functioning feel impaired most of the time with chronic migraine?
  • What role does inflammation play in pervasive cognitive symptoms?
  • Why do we have difficulty with memory during a migraine attack?
  • Why does memory loss seem to persist beyond the migraine attack?
  • Do migraines increase cognitive decline as we age?
  • Are there any enduring effects from long term medication use?
Interview Notes

Real-World Use of CGRP Medications

Key Questions
  • Does the efficacy of CGRP inhibitors seen in the clinical trials match up to the real world results?
  • Should people consider trying a CGRP inhibitor?
  • What percentage of people are getting relief from CGRP inhibitors?
  • What is the response rate with CGRP inhibitors?
  • Is one CGRP inhibitor more effective than another?
  • Is there any benefit to using Botox and a CGRP inhibitor together?
  • Is there any way to tell if a CGRP inhibitor will work for me?
  • How long do I need to try a CGRP inhibitor before I know if it works?
  • Do CGRP inhibitors help reduce the negative cognitive impacts of migraine disease like brain fog and memory problems?
  • What are the side effects of CGRP inhibitors?
  • What are the access issues with CGRP inhibitors from insurance companies?
  • What can I do if the insurance company denies a CGRP inhibitor?
Interview Notes

Why Most Doctors Get the Diagnosis Wrong

Key Questions
  • Why do so many people with migraine never go to a doctor or receive a correct diagnosis?
  • Is it always necessary to see a doctor for infrequent episodic migraine?
  • What are the migraine subtypes?
  • What are some of the common misdiagnoses for migraine?
  • What is subacute intracranial hypotension?
  • Is medication overuse headache a type of secondary headache?
  • What is the result when migraine is misdiagnosed?
  • How is underdiagnosis different from misdiagnosis?
  • What is the future role of artificial intelligence in diagnosing and treating migraine?
  • How can we be part of this groundbreaking AI research effort?
Interview Notes

Migraine Genetics, MTHFR and Concussion

Key Questions
  • What are some recent advances in the field of genetics and migraine?
  • Does migraine have a genetic basis?
  • What is a causative mutation, and how can it cause hemiplegic migraine?
  • Can people have a number of different gene mutations that are associated with migraine but still not have migraine?
  • What is the difference between inherited and acquired mutations?
  • Does our DNA determine the frequency or severity of our migraine?
  • Do we know the role that glutamate plays in migraine?
  • What are ions and ion channels?
  • What are MTHFR gene mutations and how do they affect migraine?
  • What can genetics tell us about concussion severity?
Interview Notes

How Concussion and Head Injuries Lead to Migraine

Key Questions
  • What are some of the common causes of a head injury?
  • What are the symptoms of a head injury?
  • How do you know when you should seek medical attention?
  • If someone has migraine and then has a concussion, is there a way that they can distinguish between the two?
  • What is the relationship between concussion and migraine?
  • Can having migraine make you more vulnerable to having a concussion, and does having a concussion make you more vulnerable to having migraine?
  • How do you treat concussion?
  • Does the treatment change for people who have preexisting migraine?
  • Does wearing hard helmets or soft helmets help prevent concussion?
Interview Notes

Fighting for Cluster Relief

Key Questions
  • What does a cluster attack feel like?
  • What is the difference between migraine and cluster headache?
  • What is the difference between episodic and chronic cluster headache?
  • Do cluster headaches typically decline in occurrence or stop altogether as you age?
  • What are the latest treatments approved for cluster headache?
  • How does oxygen work as a treatment for cluster headache?
  • How are psychedelics used to treat cluster headache?
  • Do triptans, ditans and gepants work for cluster headache?
  • What are the biggest advocacy challenges currently facing those with cluster headache?
  • How does Clusterbusters deal with suicide attempts in its community?
Interview Notes

Common Traps of Chronic Migraine

Key Questions
  • What is chronic migraine?
  • Why does migraine become chronic?
  • How does chronic migraine differ from episodic?
  • How do we balance using acute treatment to stop attacks and using too much acute medication?
  • If migraine treatments are not working, what other conditions and treatments should be investigated?
  • What strategies can be used when the treatment is not sufficient?
  • What complementary modalities can augment preventive treatments?
  • Why do some treatments work for some people and not for others?
  • What can be done to prevent going from episodic to chronic?
  • Is there hope for someone with chronic migraine who has not responded to anything they’ve tried?
Interview Notes

Link Between Unresolved Trauma and Migraine

Key Questions
  • Why is childhood abuse or maltreatment such a big problem?
  • How common are adverse childhood experiences?
  • What are the different kinds of childhood trauma, and how do they affect individuals later in life?
  • Are either men or women more likely to be affected later in life by childhood trauma?
  • Is migraine more common in adults who have experienced some type of childhood trauma?
  • What are some of the short- and long-term effects of stress, in terms of how it affects brain structure?
  • Do childhood traumas predispose individuals to chronic migraine as adults?
  • Is it helpful for doctors to know if their patients suffered childhood trauma or abuse?
  • What is the best treatment for someone who has had an adverse childhood experience?
Interview Notes

Hiding in the Spotlight: Celebrities with Migraine

Key Questions
  • Who are some famous people with migraine disease, past or present?
  • Which U.S. presidents are known for having symptoms of migraine?
  • Who are some authors who have written about their personal experience living with migraine disease?
  • Which famous painters may have used their experiences with migraine in creating their art?
  • What is the Alice in Wonderland syndrome?
  • Are people living with migraine more creative?
  • What are some common characteristics of these famous people who also had migraine symptoms?
  • Are celebrities becoming more open about discussing their personal experiences with migraine?
Interview Notes