Gut Bacteria May Calm the Neural Storms Behind Migraines

The gut-brain axis—the biochemical communication highway between your digestive system and your central nervous system—is proving to be a crucial battleground for understanding migraines. In a compelling new study using a rat model, researchers have demonstrated that targeted probiotic supplementation can directly influence the neurophysiological events that trigger these debilitating headaches.

The team focussed on cortical spreading depression (CSD), a wave of electrical silence followed by intense neural activity that is considered a hallmark trigger of migraine aura. They discovered that the bacterium Bifidobacterium longum significantly reduced the frequency of these events. Meanwhile, Lactobacillus plantarum markedly attenuated the amplitude of CSD, effectively suppressing the brain's tendency towards hyperexcitability.

The protective effects extended to the trigeminal ganglion (TG), a cluster of nerve cells central to migraine pain. In small-to-medium TG neurons, the probiotics lowered total electrical spike counts and induced hyperpolarisation—a state where neurons become less likely to fire. Essentially, the treatment increased the gap between the neuron's resting state and its firing threshold, making it harder for pain signals to initiate.

Crucially, the study highlighted that these effects are strain-specific. While all treated groups showed signs of reduced neuronal excitability, only B. longum altered the duration of action potentials, suggesting a unique ability to modulate nociceptive (pain) signalling. These findings support the development of precision microbiota-based therapies as a promising, non-pharmacological strategy for migraine prophylaxis.