Biomarkers of treatment response in people with migraine

Migraine is one the most common causes of neurological disability worldwide, affecting approximately 1 million of people in Switzerland. Treatment in migraine is acute (treatment of attacks) and prophylactic, with development of several new agents during the last years.

In this project, we aim at understanding the mechanisms behind different response to prophylactic migraine treatments, particularly to migraine-specific therapies, like those targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway.

In this longitudinal study, we assess clinical characteristics (e.g. sex, comorbidities, duration of migraine etc.) and specific biomarkers (in blood, like the serum neurofilament light chain: sNfL, and on the skin, using quantitative sensory testing, QST) in patients with migraine. We analyse their associations with the severity of migraine and response to different prophylactic treatments.

Preliminary results showed that migraineurs frequently show allodynia not only on their face, but also on their hands, as tested by QST. Current analysis is focusing on the predictive value of allodynia, combined with other characteristics, in treatment response. Moreover, we are currently analysing how serum biomarkers like the sNfL may be related to migraine and if they can be modified during treatment with CGRP in responders.