Epilepsy Gene Implicated in Severe Migraine Disorder - News Center

""Patients with this type of migraine have a dramatic symptom before the onset of the headache: they lose the ability to move their muscles on half their body (hemiplegia), which can be pretty scary. And often, it's assumed to be a stroke until proven otherwise.""

"The new genetic study revealed evidence that mutations in the gene SCN2A - which was previously associated with epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder - can also cause both familial and sporadic hemiplegic migraine."

"To uncover new genetic causes of FHM, investigators studied a large, four-generation family affected by hemiplegic migraine using whole-genome linkage analysis and targeted exome sequencing."

"The team identified a rare mutation in SCN2A that was present in all affected family members and absent in unaffected relatives."

Investigators have discovered that mutations in the SCN2A gene are linked to familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM), a severe migraine type causing temporary paralysis. Known migraine genes explained fewer than 20% of cases. The study involved a four-generation family with FHM, revealing a rare SCN2A mutation present in affected members. This gene, previously associated with epilepsy and autism, plays a crucial role in brain electrical signaling. The findings broaden the genetic landscape of migraines and highlight SCN2A's role in neurological disorders.

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