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

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

    Objective: To systemically review clinical studies investigating the role of prolactin and its receptors in headache and migraine.

    Background: Migraine prevalence is more common in women compared to men. As prolactin is a crucial regulator of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, prolactin and its receptors might contribute to signaling mechanisms underlying migraine.

    Methods: In this systematic review, we searched PubMed and EMBASE with the terms: prolactin, hyperprolactinemia, macroprolactinemia, hypoprolactinemia, migraine, headache, head pain and trigeminal pain pathway for clinical 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.

Access Publication