Abstract
Migraine is complex—attacks are often heralded by premonitory and prodromal disturbances and may be associated with heightened sensitivity to light, noise, and smells; with allodynia and hyperalgesia that spread from the head and neck to other parts of the body; and with dizziness, vertigo, and gastrointestinal complaints. Many of these symptoms persist subclinically between episodes of headache and may increase susceptibility to recurrent attacks and to comorbid conditions such as motion sickness. Elucidating this complexity is a challenging task. This chapter reviews neural mechanisms that might underlie some of the major symptoms of migraine—premonitory and prodromal changes, headache, sensory hypersensitivity, gastrointestinal disturbances, and vestibular instability. It then discusses how these symptoms might interact during attacks of migraine.