Potential Beneficial Effects of Probiotics on Human Migraine Headache: A Literature Review

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have shown that migraine headache is often associated with concomitant gastrointestinal diseases. There is a higher prevalence of headaches in patients with gastrointestinal disorders. These associations between migraine and gastrointestinal disorders suggest a potential link to a bidirectional modulation of gut microbiota and brain function. The underlying working mechanistic links between migraine and gastrointestinal diseases may include increased intestinal epithelial permeability and inflammation. Objective: This review presents an overview of the relationship between gut microbiota and brain function, especially with regard to migraine headache. Study Design: Literature review. Setting: Anesthesia and Operation Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital. Methods: The present investigation included a PubMed search using the following terms: migraine headache, gut microbiota, brain function, and probiotics. Results: In this literature review, we mainly discussed the relationship between gut microbiota and brain function, especially with regard to migraine headache. The potential effects of probiotics supplement on migraine headache were also included. Limitations: There is limited evidence from clinical studies of the positive effects of probiotics in patients with migraine headache. Large-scale randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials are warranted to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of probiotics in patients with migraine headache. Conclusions: Similar to migraine headache, disorders of the brain involving depression and anxiety have been demonstrated to be associated with increased gut permeability. An improvement in gut microbiota and reduction of inflammation can have positive effects on strengthening gut and brain function. Moreover, it can be inferred that probiotics may have a beneficial effect on the frequency and severity of migraine headache attacks. Large-scale randomized, placebo-controlled studies are warranted in the future to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of probiotics in patients with migraine headache. Key words: Migraine headache, gut microbiota, brain function, probiotics

Linking Migraine to Gut Dysbiosis and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases

“…Therefore, probiotics, thanks to an improvement of gut barrier functions, can also have beneficial effects on headache patients. New clinical studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis [124,170].…”

Migraine as a Disease Associated with Dysbiosis and Possible Therapy with Fecal Microbiota Transplantation

“…The use of probiotics as a dietary supplement may reduce the number and severity of migraine episodes [ 56 ]. Its hypothetical effect is on SCFA production, improving the integrity of the epithelium, and improving proinflammatory cytokine levels by the suppression of kappa factor B [ 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ]. The results of human trials are mainly related to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and autism spectrum disorder ( Table 3 ) [ 7 ].…”

Neuropsychiatric and Neurological Diseases in Relation to the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: From Research to Clinical Care

“…When intestinal permeability increases, undigested food particles, and bacterial metabolites can enter the circulation. These bacterial endotoxins, such as LPS, may then act on the trigeminovascular system and ultimately trigger migraine-like symptoms [ 23 ]. The physiopathology of migraine is greatly influenced by a range of inflammatory and vasoactive mediators, mainly through the GI microbiota's control over the GI autonomic and immunological systems.…”