Author(s)

William Burke^1,2,3*, John Robinson⁴

¹Brain Research Laboratory, Discipline of Physiology, and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
²Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, Sydney, Australia.
³Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
⁴School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Our aim is to determine the cause(s) of migraine auras. Our understanding of how migraines and migraine auras originate is very imperfect. An important observation is that migraines occur more frequently in women at reproductive age than in men at a similar age. This suggests that gonadal hormones may be relevant triggers. The occurrence of classical (typical auras without headache) auras in one author (WB) has been recorded. Every aura in six years (85) has been noted, studied and analysed statistically. The auras occur predominantly in Spring and Autumn, especially in the longer reproductive season of Spring. This association is supported statistically. The results support the idea of gonadal hormones as relevant triggers, the strongest candidate being estrogen. Basic mechanisms underlying the auras are discussed, especially the phenomenon of cortical spreading depression. We also propose that both auras and migraines depend upon previous injury to the head or to the brain, giving rise to a condition of “deafferentation hypersensitivity”.

Migraine Aura, Equinox, Estrogen, Spring, Autumn, Deafferentation Hypersensitivity

Burke, W. and Robinson, J. (2014) The Occurrence of Migraine Auras and Possible Triggers. Health, 6, 2688-2696. doi: 10.4236/health.2014.619307.