This abstract is from a new study connecting migraines and exposure to BPA in plastics.
Migraine is a common and debilitating neurological disorder suffered worldwide. Women experience this condition three times more frequently than men, with estrogen strongly implicated to play a role. Bisphenol A (BPA), a highly prevalent xenoestrogen (environmental estrogen), is known to have estrogenic activity and may have an effect in migraine onset, intensity, and duration through estrogen receptor signaling. It was hypothesized that BPA exposure exacerbates migraine symptoms.
The following results were obtained: BPA treatment significantly exacerbated migraine-like behaviors in rats. Rats exposed to BPA demonstrated decreased locomotion, exacerbated light and sound aversion, altered grooming habits, and enhanced startle reflexes. There were also changes in estrogen receptors. These results show that BPA, an environmentally pervasive xenoestrogen, exacerbates migraine-like behavior in a rat model and alters expression of estrogen and nociception-related genes.
For an overview of BPA in plastics, see an earlier blog HERE.