Migraine: A Condition That Is Still Often Misdiagnosed, Despite Effective Treatments. What Solutions Are Available Today?

PLEASE NOTE: Change of lecture hall: Dumontet Lecture Hall, Building 7 (Administrative Building), Triolet Campus, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier.

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

Migraine, which is very often underdiagnosed, is a debilitating condition due to the frequency, duration, and intensity of attacks, which can have a significant impact on personal, academic, or professional life. It is the most debilitating neurological disorder among people under 50 and the second most debilitating condition among those 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 often poorly managed and subject to a certain degree of disregard on the part of healthcare professionals, health authorities, and sometimes patients themselves. Yet it can be easily diagnosed in five minutes by asking patients the right questions.”

Today, there are effective and safe treatment options available to reduce pain during attacks and decrease the frequency of migraines. Research has made considerable progress in understanding the mechanisms of the disease and in developing specific and innovative treatments. “But these treatments are not covered by insurance in France—a public health scandal that leaves patients with severe migraines in a bind,” adds Anne Ducros.

How can you tell a migraine apart from other types of headaches? What happens in the brain during a migraine attack? What are effective treatments for both acute attacks and preventive care? What birth control options are available for women who suffer from migraines? How can you study or work when you have migraines? Anne Ducros will provide an overview of the current understanding of 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 a professor at the University of Montpellier. She is a member of the Connectome team at the Charles Coulomb CNRS Laboratory atUM. 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 abnormal intracranial pressure, and the search for therapeutic solutions for severe and treatment-resistant forms of migraine and cluster headaches. See her Instagram account.

The conference will be followed by a coffee break.

If you have any questions regarding the event's accessibility, please contact the Handiversité department by email.

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