Papers of the Week

Acute migraine attack in familial hemiplegic migraine type 2 (FHM2) patients is characterized by sequential hypo- and hyperperfusion. FHM2 is associated with mutations in the Na,K-ATPase α2 isoform. Heterozygous mice bearing one of these mutations (α2+/G301R) were shown to have elevated cerebrovascular tone and, thus, hypoperfusion that might lead to elevated concentrations of local metabolites. We hypothesize that these α2+/G301R mice also have increased cerebrovascular hyperemic responses to these local metabolites leading to hyperperfusion in the affected part of the brain.