CHRISTOPHER I. MOORE is the associate director of Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science, which has received the 2019 Innovation Award from the Association of Migraine Disorders, a nonprofit focused on expanding the understanding of migraine disease. The award is presented to an individual or organization that has contributed to improving the understanding, diagnosis or treatment of migraine disorders.
Why is a migraine considered a misunderstood disease and what do you think is needed to change that perception? Migraine is commonly perceived as an inconvenient, tolerable headache. Reality is that migraine includes a number of symptoms and can span from occasional misery to a daily battle with disability. Nonheadache symptoms include disturbances in hearing, balance, vision, smell, thinking, sleep, gastrointestinal function and more. Migraine is a heterogeneous hypersensitivity disorder. More people need to become aware of this widespread disease because it affects 1 in 4 American households.
What are some key elements of migraine that need to be treated in order to minimize their impact on people? We know that migraine symptoms change dramatically for women during their lifetimes, depending on changes in estrogen. We need to focus attention on how hormone fluctuations affect the nervous system. Additionally, there is growing evidence that chronic migraine can mimic the symptoms of sinusitis. We need more study of this phenomenon. It could have profound effects on how we use antibiotics. Finally, the research community needs to increase its efforts to identify biomarkers and tests that can diagnose and individualize the treatment of those with migraine.
What advances have been made recently to treat migraines? 2018 was a breakthrough year in the treatment of the disease, with the release of three new calcitonin gene-related, peptide-blocking drugs that can help prevent migraine attacks for some patients. There are also new alternative treatments, such as neuromodulators that use electrical or magnetic pulses. … With each advance in treatment, we’re also uncovering secrets of about 30 other diseases that share genetic underpinnings [such as] sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, hypothyroidism, mood disorders and tinnitus.
The Carney Institute last year received a $100 million gift for brain research. What will be your focuses in the research? The Carney gift is an amazing opportunity, and challenge, for us. Brown has a wonderful and diverse brain-research community. This ecosystem is intensely collaborative, reflecting a culture of great mutual respect across disciplines. Research has shown, and our internal data confirm, that this style leads to more highly cited papers, to the findings that shape the field. The Carney gift ensures we stay world class, we stay interactive and we stay focused on discovery. It provides resources to build on our distinctive culture and make ground-breaking advances at an even higher rate.
