J Headache Pain (2003) 4:47–56 DOI 10.1007/s10194-003-0030-0 EDITORIAL Pasquale Montagna The “typical” migraines: genetic studies Pietro Cortelli Mirella Mochi and some practical considerations Abstract Epidemiological genetic, in the inflammation cascade; etc.) family and twin studies show that the did not result in uniformely accepted typical migraines carry a substantial findings. Linkage and genome wide genetic risk; they are currently con- scans gave evidence for several ceptualized as complex genetic dis- genetic susceptibility loci, still how- ౧ P. Montagna ( ) • M. Mochi eases. Several genetic association ever in need of confirmation. Careful Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Bologna Medical School, and linkage studies have been per- dissection of the clinical phenotypes Via Ugo Foscolo 7, I-40123 Bologna, Italy formed in the typical migraines. and trigger factors shall greatly help e-mail:
[email protected] Candidate gene studies based on “a future efforts in the quest for the Tel.: +39-051-6442179 priori” pathogenic models of genetic basis of the typical Fax: +39-051-6442165 migraine (migraine as a calcium migraines. P. Cortelli channelopathy; a mitochondrial Department of Neurology, DNA disorder; a disorder in the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, metabolism of serotonin or Key words Migraine • Aura • Modena, Italy dopamine; in vascular risk factors or Genetics • Cardiovascular risk prove heritability, since it may result from shared envi- “Typical” migraine as a complex disease: genetic ronmental factors. It is therefore interesting to note that at epidemiology, twin and segregation analysis studies least one genetic epidemiology survey found an increased disease risk for migraine in first-degree relatives com- That migraine runs in families is an ancient observation.