Maybe the cause of CH's is a chemical imbalance...Dopamine?

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The importance of Richardo's citation is its date, 2006.

There are no citations later than this one which develop this potential relationship. The point being: this is how good science operates. A hypothesis is presented and then we wait for later research to explore the question.

When you see this pattern emereging it suggests that either others haven't found a link and/or they don't see it as an interesting idea. Either response = good science in action.

The reason I ask is when I was 11 yrs old, after suffering head trauma, I began my CH's. 

I was of course mis-diagnosed with migraines.  However, after a recent conversation with my mother she told me that the doctors said I may have a chemical imbalance in my head and spoke of Dopamine; too much or not enough-don't recall.

Dopamine and hypothalamas both have direct correlation with each other.

Dopamine is also a neurohormone released by the hypothalamus. Its main function as a hormone is to inhibit the release of prolactin from the anterior lobe of the pituitary.

Dopamine has many functions in the brain, including important roles in behavior and cognition, voluntary movement, motivation, punishment and reward, inhibition of prolactin production (involved in lactation and sexual gratification), sleep, mood, attention, working memory, and learning. Dopaminergic neurons (i.e., neurons whose primary neurotransmitter is dopamine) are present chiefly in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain, the substantia nigra pars compacta, and the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus.

Dopamine has been demonstrated to play a role in pain processing in multiple levels of the central nervous system including the spinal cord,[34] periaqueductal gray (PAG),[35] thalamus,[36] basal ganglia,[37][38] insular cortex,[39][40] and cingulate cortex.[41] Accordingly, decreased levels of dopamine have been associated with painful symptoms that frequently occur in Parkinson's disease.[42] Abnormalities in dopaminergic neurotransmission have also been demonstrated in painful clinical conditions, including burning mouth syndrome,[43] fibromyalgia,[44][45] and restless legs syndrome.[46] In general, the analgesic capacity of dopamine occurs as a result of dopamine D2 receptor activation; however, exceptions to this exist in the PAG, in which dopamine D1 receptor activation attenuates pain presumably via activation of neurons involved in descending inhibition.[47] In addition, D1 receptor activation in the insular cortex appears to attenuate subsequent pain-related behavior.

Dopamine stimulates specific peripheral dopamine receptors and is an important neurotransmitter in the peripheral autonomic nervous system.[/color]



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None of us have the skill to read too much into these material is that the focus seems to be on "transmission" and "involvement". That's important but different from "cause" (of CH).

Bottom line: until a causal chain is demonstrated this won't be translated into treatment...

I understand, just trying to brainstorm and believe this is worthy to study in hopes of cause/cure.

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I know from research I did in collage that dopamine plays a huge role in drug addiction and chemical dependency.  They believe that a lack of dopamine makes us crave the drug such as cocaine.  Then when using it it creates an abundance of it creating a high.  Then when the user crashes the dopamine is low again thus creating a cycle of needing to use to feel semi normal.

Karla, this is so true about Dopamine and addictive tendencies, such as the MAJORITY of CH'ers report they smoke cigs.

Of course there is WAY MORE correlation of Dopamine and the hypothalamus and CH's than addictive tendencies, but great point!

Supports my theory of CH'ers being hyper-addict personalities.

It ain't just hard for us to quit smoking - it's damned near impossible.

I will add to Brew's comment as I too am a hyper-addictive personality, who also has had head trauma from a motorcycle accident. 

Smoking cigarettes and drinking are two of my vices and I am sure to an un-healthy degree.   

Just my 2 cents.

E

Brew wrote on Nov 26^th, 2011 at 2:30pm:

Supports my theory of CH'ers being hyper-addict personalities. It ain't just hard for us to quit smoking - it's damned near impossible.

I don't know about the hyper part but do agree with the addict personalities part.
It's not so hard to quit smoking......I've done it dozens of times.

According to my neurologist, "testing for a Dopamine imbalance is a very sophisticated test."

If interested, others will have to be the guinea pig on this test, as I have no medical insurance.

Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiency can cause decreased levels of dopamine. According to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body and is important for good health. About 50 percent of magnesium in the body is found in bone; the other 50 percent is found in other body tissues and organs. Magnesium is crucial for memory and other cognitive functions. In some people, magnesium deficiency can manifest due to lack of magnesium in the diet, leading to memory decline and a dopamine deficiency. Common signs and symptoms associated with magnesium deficiency include decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, personality changes, muscle spasms and cramps, fatigue, weakness, abnormal heart rhythms, depression and cluster headaches. The National Institutes of Health states that certain individuals may need extra magnesium, including people with poorly-controlled diabetes, people with Crohn's disease and older adults.

Very interesting.
61% of the US population does not meet the US RDA for levels of magnesium.
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