Acute neuroendocrine challenge elicits enhanced cortisol… : PAIN Reports
nisms, we performed a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study with 51 participants (21 patients with migraine without aura and 30 healthy controls). Methods: Participants received a low-dose citalopram- or placebo challenge on 2 separate days. Prechallenge and postchallenge assessment of cortisol concentrations and transcriptomic changes using RNA-seq was performed from whole blood samples. Analysis of an accidental attack following the citalopram challenge was also conducted. Results: Neuroendocrine challenge elicited elevated cortisol concentrations at 30 (P-value = 0.1355) and 70 minutes (P-value = 0.07292) postchallenge in patients with migraine compared with controls. Gene expression analysis showed 10 differentially expressed genes (2 down- and 8 upregulated, P-value ≤ 0.005) and 10 dysregulated gene sets (P-value ≤ 0.005). Among them, dysregulated IKBKGP1 and NKRF genes and upregulated protein synthesis and translation, carbohydrate metabolism, and, attack-related, glyc
