Prolactin in headache and migraine: A systematic review of preclinical studies

Resource type: Publication Publication
  • Authors
    Al-Karagholi, Mohammad Al-Mahdi; Kalatharan, Veberka; Ghanizada, Hashmat; Dussor, Gregory; Ashina, Messoud
  • Type
    Original research
  • Journal
    Headache
  • Publication Date
    2023
  • Abstract

    Objective: To systemically review preclinical studies investigating the implication of prolactin signaling in headache and migraine pathophysiology.

    Background: The features of migraine attacks, including characteristics, duration, frequency, and prevalence, are sex-dependent with variability across a lifetime, indicating the involvement of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. Prolactin is a key regulator of this axis, and a new line of evidence implicates prolactin signaling in sex-related differences in pain perception.

    Methods: In this systematic review, we searched PubMed and EMBASE for the terms prolactin, hyperprolactinemia, macroprolactinemia, hypoprolactinemia, migraine, headache, head pain, and trigeminal pain pathway to find preclinical studies investigating prolactin signaling in headache and migraine. Two reviewers independently screened 841 articles for population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and study design. Studies were restricted to the English language and were excluded if they had a nonexperimental methodology.

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