Increased Serotonin Transporter Availability in the Brainstem of Migraineurs – In vivo Evidence for a Serotonergic Dysfunction in Migraineurs

Aim: The serotoninergic system has been supposed to play a major role in migraine pathophysiology for decades. 80% of serotonergic neurons reside within the raphe nuclei in the brainstem. Positron emission tomgraphy (PET) studies on migraineurs show a marked increase of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the mesopontine brainstem, a region which comprises the rostral raphe nuclei. We hypothesized the mesopontine serotonergic system being involved in the pathophysiology of migraine. Methods: We used I-123 ADAM, a new and highly specific radioligand targeting the serotonin transporter (SERT) and co-registratio…