ROLE OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN MIGRAINE

Abstract

Objective: Oxidative stress, resulting from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant defenses, plays a significant role in migraine pathogenesis. This study contributes to ongoing research by focusing on oxidative stress as a potential cause of migraine, specifically through the comparison of biochemical markers superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA).

Study Design: This was a case control study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Neuro OPD of PNS Shifa Hospital; Karachi. The ethical approval was taken from Bahria University Health Sciences Karachi (BUHSCK). The duration of the study was 6 months it started in February 2024- July 2024.

 Methodology: Migraine patients between age 20-40 years were included in cases and healthy participants were included in controls.  The calculated sample size of 246 subjects were divided into two groups, out which 123 were cases and 123 were controls. Venous blood sample was taken for measuring SOD & MDA. The obtained results were statistically analyzed by SPSS version 23. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Baseline  characteristics showed no significant differences between controls and migraine patients in age, BMI, SBP, and DBP (p > 0.05), except for temperature, which was significantly lower in migraine patients (p = 0.027). Median levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were 41 nm/mL (IQR = 29) and 2 U/mL (IQR = 1) in controls, and 10 nm/mL (IQR = 4) and 4 U/mL (IQR = 1) in migraine patients, respectively. The Mann–Whitney U test revealed a significant difference in both SOD and MDA levels between the groups (p < 0.01), indicating increased oxidative stress in migraine patients. Conclusion: Our study concludes that migraine patients exhibit reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and elevated malondialdehyde (MDA), highlighting the involvement of oxidative stress in migraine pathogenesis. These findings may help healthcare professionals develop more targeted management strategies addressing underlying oxidative stress