A study has shown that migraine medication alleviates dizziness that feels like a fog in the head and sensitivity to light. Migraine is a type of vascular headache that feels like throbbing in the head. Typically, before a migraine occurs, dizziness ensues, the neck becomes stiff, and there is increased sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine medication has been found to help reduce not only headaches but also these prodromal symptoms.
A research team led by Professor Peter Goadsby of King's College London noted, "The migraine medication ubrogepant has been confirmed to alleviate dizziness," in the journal "Nature Medicine" on the 12th (local time). Ubrogepant is an acute migraine treatment sold under the name Ubrelvy by the American pharmaceutical company AbbVie.
Migraines are believed to occur due to problems in the hypothalamic circuit that maintains bodily homeostasis. Before a migraine strikes, various prodromal symptoms manifest due to abnormalities in the neural circuits. Symptoms such as fatigue, neck pain, sensitivity to light or sound, and decreased concentration may arise.
The research team conducted a clinical trial involving 438 participants aged 18 to 75 with a history of migraines. For 60 days, participants reported taking either 100 mg of ubrogepant or a placebo whenever prodromal symptoms appeared, and whether it was effective.
As a result, taking ubrogepant increased concentration after one hour compared to taking a placebo. After two hours, sensitivity to light decreased. After three hours, neck pain and fatigue improved. Symptoms of dizziness and sensitivity to sound also decreased.
The research team said, "Taking ubrogepant can treat not only migraines but also prodromal symptoms." Rob Music, who leads a migraine organization in the UK, noted, "This is expected to be helpful for the one in seven people worldwide who suffer from migraines." Professor Paris Sa Gazerani of Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway remarked, "Further studies are needed to verify whether such treatments can be widely applied."
References
Nature Medicine (2025), DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03679-7