According to a new research, a particular variation of a gene on chromosome 8 may raise the possibility of getting migraines. The observation that migraine often runs in a family has always made the researchers and medical professionals believe that it is a hereditary problem. However, no specific gene had been proven to be responsible till now. This study is among the first to identify a specific genetic variant which is associated with a raised risk of the most common kinds of migraines. These types include migraines with and without aura.

The study was conducted a team of researchers in the International Headache Genetics Consortium at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in England. It is published in the August 29 issue of Nature Genetics. The senior study author said, “We have found this association primarily with migraine with aura. More studies need to be done to verify how widely this is true for other forms of migraine.”

The research involved a genome-wide association study conducted on about 6, 000 people diagnosed with migraine headaches and nearly 50, 000 people without migraine. It was found that migraine patients were more likely to have a variation on chromosome 8 between the PGCP and the MTDH gene.

“When you use genome-wide association studies, you often land in an area that you have no clue what’s actually one there,” Palotie said. “In this case, we were lucky. Both of these genes are related to the glutamate balance in the body and the brain. We further know that one of these genes regulate an additional gene involved in glutamate regulation.”

The finding has given a hope that a better understanding of the genetics could help find an effective treatment for migraine, and make the sufferers life easy and comfortable.