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WATCH THIS HEADSPACE: A new era in migraine treatments Migraine is the most common neurological condition, and the second biggest cause of disability in the world. Yet only a fraction of neurologists worldwide specialise in headache medicine. We talk to one of those rare neurologists, Professor Peter Goadsby from King's College London. Peter leads the Headache Group at the National Institute of Headache Research at King’s College, and has helped to develop a new class of highly effective migraine therapies. We also hear from neuropharmacologist Professor Debbie Hay from the University of Otago about advances being made in New Zealand. Debbie has spent two decades contributing to the development of medicines to treat migraine, and is passionate about improving the lives of patients who have this condition. F irst, some reassurance. Migraine is not just a ‘bad headache’, it is a neurological disorder. This was affirmed by award-winning neuroscientist Professor Peter Goadsby, from King’s College London, who spoke at a recent migraine seminar hosted in Auckland by the Neurological Foundation and the Migraine Foundation Aotearoa. Peter studies the causes of migraine to find better treatments. He says migraine usually has no obvious underlying cause, suggesting that in most cases it is a genetic disorder. “Very often people with migraine talk about being examined, having a brain scan, and being told you are normal, when you probably don't feel very normal at all,” he says. “But you likely won’t see a migraine on an MRI.” Peter’s research lab uses an advanced imaging technique called functional MRI (fMRI) that isn’t typically available to patients in hospital settings. He uses it to capture images of migraine attacks in study volunteers, which appear as bright blobs of activity, providing empirical evidence of an ‘invisible disease’. L to R Sarah Cahill (Migraine Foundation Aotearoa), Professor Debbie Hay (University of Otago), Rich Easton (Neurological Foundation CEO), Dr Fiona Imlach (Migraine Foundation), Professor Peter Goadsby (King’s College London) & Dr Calvin Chan (Neurologist, Palmerston North Hospital). Headlines 5