ABSTRACT
Migraine is a common disorder that has been recognized since the earliest recorded times. The first references to migraine date back to Sumerian times (1). Even during these early times, migraine symptoms were noted to include more than just pain. Cutaneous allodynia accompanying a headache attack was perhaps first described by Liveing in 1873 (2). In 1960, Selby and Lance (3) noted that 65% of their patients complained of cutaneous allodynia in the form of scalp tenderness. Selby writes: ‘‘This may be so severe as to prevent the patient from lying on the affected side, or described only as abnormal sensitivity when combing or brushing the hair.’’ Cutaneous allodynia has recently been linked to sensitization of neurons in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) in animal models of migraine. Furthermore, allodynia was found to be associated with acute attack refractoriness. Understanding the mechanisms of allodynia, preventing its development, and finding effective treatments have become a priority in current headache research.
