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MIGRAINE

Potassium channel openers — novel triggers of aura and migraine

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Results of two recent studies by Messoud Ashina and colleagues demonstrate that infusion of two different potassium channel openers can trigger migraine in humans; one of the compounds also triggered aura in patients diagnosed with migraine with aura. The findings highlight the importance of human experimental models in migraine research.

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Correspondence to Alan M. Rapoport.

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Competing interests

A.M.R. serves as an advisor for AbbVie, Amgen, Biohaven, Cala Health, Novartis, Satsuma, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Theranica, Xoc and Zosano; he is on the speaker bureau of AbbVie, Amgen, Biohaven, Lundbeck and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. R.B.L. receives research support from the NIH and FDA as well as the National Headache Foundation and the Marx Foundation. He also receives research support from Allergan/Abbvie, Amgen, Biohaven Holdings, Eli Lilly and Electrocore. He receives personal fees as a consultant or advisor from Allergan/Abbvie, Amgen, Biohaven Holdings, Dr. Reddy’s, GlaxoSmithKline, Grifols, Impel NeuroPharma, Lundbeck, Merck, Novartis and Teva Pharmaceuticals. He holds stock or options in Biohaven Holdings and CtrlM Health. In addition, he receives royalties for Wolff’s Headache 7th and 8th Edition.

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Rapoport, A.M., Lipton, R.B. Potassium channel openers — novel triggers of aura and migraine. Nat Rev Neurol 17, 397–398 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-021-00517-5

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