Abstract
The catechol–O–methyltransferase (COMT) gene contains a functional polymorphism, Val158Met, that has been found to influence human pain perception, and one study has found that migraine was less likely among those with the Val/Val polymorphism. In the 1995–97 Nord–Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study, the association between the Val158Met polymorphism and headache was evaluated in a random sample of 2451 individuals. No association between Val158Met polymorphism and migraine was found. Among women, a lower prevalence of non–migrainous headache was found among individuals with the Val/Val genotype than among those with other genotypes (26.2% vs. 33.6%, p=0.04). That non–migrainous headache was less likely among women with the Val/Val genotype may be an incidental finding, but should be investigated in further studies.
Key words: Headache, Migraine, Population–based, COMT gene, Norway
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