I recently came across this web page:

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In which the writer claims clusters are caused by an abnormality in the Hypothalamus -

"This abnormality is an extra-thick layer of cells. It is something CH sufferers are born with"

This sounds like a reasonable explanation, as the Hypothalamus regulates many things related to typical cluster cycles (sleep, seasonal changes, appetite).

I'm curious if anyone knows of any real study done on this, or if it is just a theory presented by the writer of this page. Do let me know if you know of something!

Bryan

Here's one.  There are more.  Use google scholar using keywords "Goadsby" and "hypothalamus".

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Best,

George

Thanks George,

Man I wish medical documents were a bit more . . . plot driven. Going to plunge in and decipher this thing now. See you during my next cycle. Thanks!!

B

It's a defect we have!

Has there been any research on this that answers the following questions?

• Has this layer of cells been detected on all people tested who have CH?
  
• Are there people with this layer of cells who never develop CH?
  
• If this layer of cells is present from birth, what causes it to start causing CHs?
  
• For people who are episodic, what causes it to start / stop / restart?
  

The answers to these questions will be very interesting and are no doubt being worked on.

The problem with your questions, Mike, is that in order to examine some one's hypothalamus, you have to slice their brain in half.  So the best studies are going to be on dead people.

I haven't looked at that research recently, but I believe that they have not clearly shown any anatomical differences - using special scanners, they showed functional problems (unusual patterns of activity that initiated cluster headaches). And these patterns went back to normal when a person was not in cycle.

Could there be an anatomical issue? Yes, possibly. The risk of cluster headaches is partly associated with a history of traumatic brain injury, that could be an issue that changes the brain anatomy in a key region. But it could also be a biochemical abnormality that changes the function of the hypothalamus.

Quote:

The answers to these questions will be very interesting and are no doubt being worked on

??where?who? :-?

black wrote on Oct 8^th, 2010 at 12:29am:

Quote: The answers to these questions will be very interesting and are no doubt being worked on ??where?who? :-?

In the pentagon by "the Man"!

I'm going out on a limb, here, but I read an article about a year ago that indicated CH sufferer's had an extra ganglion of nerves in the hypothalmus. I also think it was from research in Australia (Dr Goadsby?). The determination was made using PET scans comparing affected and nonaffected test clients. Anyone else remember, or know, about this article? Blessings. lance

Dr Goadsby is Austrailian but was working in London at the time of the discovery.  He is now at the University of San Francisco.