Migraines may be associated with irregularities in the metabolism of certain lipids and serum sphingolipid panels could play a role in the diagnosis of migraines, according to a study published in the Oct. 6 issue of Neurology. Sphingolipids (e.g., sphingomyelins, ceramides) are a group of bioactive lipids that are critical components of cell membranes. Recent research suggests that even subtle changes of sphingolipid balance may be tied to neurologic disorders and obesity and that sphingolipids may participate in neuronal functions and signaling pathways associated with pain. In the current study, researchers obtained fasting serum samples from 52 pain-free women, 88 women with episodic migraine, and 36 controls. Forty sphingolipid species were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The researchers found that total ceramide and dihydroceramide (ceramide’s precursor) were significantly decreased in women with episodic migraine, compared with controls. Using multivariate logistic regression, each standard deviation increase in total ceramide and total dihydroceramide levels was associated with more than 92 percent reduced odds of migraine. However, every standard deviation increase in sphingomyelin, was associated with a 2.5 times greater risk of migraine. "Our findings suggest it is possible that migraine is a neurologic disorder of ‘minor’ sphingolipid […]