Migraine: a condition that is still poorly diagnosed, despite effective treatments. What solutions are available today?

PLEASE NOTE: change of lecture hall: Dumontet lecture hall, building 7 (administrative), Triolet campus, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier.

By Anne Ducros, neurologist at Montpellier University Hospital, head of the Migraine and Headache Medical Team, and professor at the University of Montpellier.

Very often underdiagnosed, migraine is a debilitating condition due to the frequency, duration, and intensity of attacks, which can have a significant impact on personal, academic, and professional life. It is the most debilitating neurological disorder in people under 50 and the second most debilitating condition in people over 50.

As Professor Anne Ducros, a neurologist at Montpellier University Hospital who will be leading this conference, points out : "Despite its high prevalence, migraine is poorly managed and subject to a certain degree of contempt from healthcare professionals, health authorities, and sometimes even patients themselves. Yet it can be easily diagnosed in five minutes by asking patients the right questions."

Today, there are effective and safe therapeutic solutions to reduce pain during attacks and decrease the frequency of migraines. Research has made considerable progress in understanding the mechanisms of the disease and providing specific and innovative treatments. "But these are not reimbursed in France, a public health scandal that leaves patients with severe migraines in a dead end," adds Anne Ducros.

How can you tell a migraine from another type of headache? What happens in the brain during a migraine attack? What are the effective treatments for attacks and underlying causes? What type of contraception is best for women who suffer from migraines? How can you study or work when you have migraines? Anne Ducros will review the current knowledge on migraines and answer questions from the audience.

Anne Ducros is a neurologist at Montpellier University Hospital, head of the Migraine and Headache Medical Team, and professor at the University of Montpellier. She is a member of the Connectome team at the Charles Coulomb Laboratory of the CNRS at the University of Montpellier. She is also past president of the French Society for the Study of Migraines and Headaches.
Her research focuses on the genetics of migraine, the links between migraine and stroke, headaches caused by intracranial pressure abnormalities, and the search for therapeutic solutions for severe and refractory forms of migraine and cluster headaches. See her Instagram account.

The conference will be followed by a coffee break.

For any questions regarding accessibility at the event, please contact the Handiversité service by email.

Conference organized as part of European Disability Employment Week. For more information, click here.