THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES FOR MODULATION OF THE MICROBIOTA IN MIGRAINE CONTROL: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Migraine is the third cause of disability in humans under 50 years of age. The gut microbiota has been identified as an influential factor in the brain-gut axis and in abnormalities related to neurological diseases such as migraine. The present study aimed to verify a possible relationship between microbiota composition and probiotic supplementation in migraine patients, as well as its effects on the aforementioned pathology. This is an integrative review that gathers information to deepen the proposed theme. To this end, 20 articles were selected, including meta-analyses and reviews. The results found in the literature were inconclusive regarding the use of probiotics as a therapeutic or preventive approach for migraine. On the other hand, a human study demonstrated that short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) resulted in less hyperalgesia caused by nitroglycerin, in addition to reducing inflammatory cytokines. It has also been seen that the use of these SCFAs resulted in an alteration of the composition of the microbiota. Studies with Gastrodia-Uncaria, vitamin D3 and, tryptophan resulted in a greater diversity of the gut microbiome. In the case of H. pylori, the literature indicates positive results in the symptomatology of migraine when these microorganisms were eradicated. The findings of this study demonstrate that there are differences between the microbiota of patients with and without migraine. After the literature analysis, it was noted that the migraine group has a less diverse intestinal microbiota. Modulation of the gut microbiota could be considered as a potential therapeutic or preventive target for individuals affected with migraine, and further studies are needed to evaluate this possibility.