Pain Processing in Adults With Migraines

Investigators will conduct a cross-sectional study in migraineurs (interictally, i.e., between migraine attacks) and healthy controls to compare responses to experimental heat pain intensity and unpleasantness and correlate these results to differences in emotional reactivity and pain catastrophizing.

Inclusion criteria

• Inclusion criteria for Healthy Controls:

• ≥18yo;
• Inclusion Criteria for Migraineurs:

• ≥18yo with >1 yr of migraines and currently 4-20 days/month with migraines, although no migraine within 48 hrs of study visit.

Exclusion criteria

• Any major unstable medical/psychiatric illness (e.g., hospitalization within 90 days, suicide risk, etc.)
• Severe clinical depression/anxiety
• Chronic pain condition (e.g., fibromyalgia, migraines for healthy controls, etc.) or sensory abnormalities (e.g., neuropathy, Raynaud's, etc.)
• Diagnosis of medication overuse headache or chronic migraine.
• Migraineurs will be studied after being headache-free for at least 48 hours (interictally).
• Participants may be currently taking migraine medications, as long as they do not have a diagnosis of medication overuse headache.
• Pregnant subjects will be excluded from all portions of the study due to possible unknown risks of frankly noxious stimuli.
• Due to unknown risks and potential harm to the unborn fetus, sexually active women of childbearing potential must use a reliable method of birth control while participating in this study
• Volunteers with no pain ratings to frankly noxious stimuli (temperatures > 49°C) or excessive responses to threshold temperatures (~43°C)