Brain and head-nerve pathways behind migraine pain
Official title: Central vs. Peripheral Mechanisms of Headache: Cortex, Thalamus, Dorsal Horn
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11309603 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are comparing how specific brain regions and head nerves produce migraine headache in people who get migraines, including those with aura.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | April 5, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $419,283 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS133226-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11309603 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who experience recurrent migraines, especially those who have aura or headaches that are one-sided or switch sides, are most relevant to the findings.
✕Less likely to help
People with non-migraine headache types or headaches caused by structural disorders or other medical conditions are less likely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project looks at how a wave of brain activity called cortical spreading depression (the event behind migraine aura) affects pain pathways from the meninges up to the thalamus and cortex. Using detailed neuronal recordings and laboratory models, scientists will compare activity in first-, second-, and third-order neurons to find where prolonged pain signaling starts. The team will pay special attention to the thalamus because it connects strongly with the cortex and contains neurons with bilateral receptive fields that may explain one- versus two-sided headache. The goal is to fill a gap left by prior work that measured early pain neurons but did not examine thalamic responses to cortical spreading depression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new brain-targeted approaches to prevent or reduce migraine pain.
How similar studies have gone: Previous single-unit recording studies in animals showed prolonged activation in first- and second-order meningeal pathways after cortical spreading depression, but effects on thalamic third-order neurons remain largely untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Strassman, Andrew Mark — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Strassman, Andrew Mark
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Deep learning approach to diagnosing chronic headaches and facial pain
A new AI-based method aims to improve how doctors diagnose chronic headache and facial pain by using a large, long-term set of patient data.
-
Understanding why some head injuries lead to long-lasting headaches and pain sensations
This grant tests how early inflammation after repeating mild brain injuries might set up long-lasting headaches and widespread pain, using a rat model to study brain circuits involved in pain.
-
Bispecific antibody therapy targeting CGRP and CCL2 for chronic post-traumatic headache
A new non-opioid treatment using a dual-targeting antibody aims to prevent and treat chronic post-traumatic headache in people who have suffered a mild traumatic brain injury.
-
Non-Addictive Nose Spray Nerve Block for Quick Migraine Relief
A new nasal nerve-blocking treatment being tested to relieve migraine attacks quickly without addictive drugs.
-
Pediatric Headache in the COVID era: learning from kids’ pain with smart data and brain signals
A pediatric-focused project uses computer learning and brain-behavior data to better classify headache types in kids and guide personalized treatment.
-
Meningeal nerve signals and immune cells in migraine pain
This NIH grant explores how nerve signals in the brain’s meninges interact with immune cells to trigger migraine pain, with results aimed at improving treatments for people who experience migraines.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.