Plasma and urinary serotonin and 5-hydroxyindol-3-acetic acid in adults with migraine and tension-type headache.

Each headache can be a complex diagnostic, therapeutic, prognostic and social problem. The pain in the head can be connected with many organic and non-organic causes. In this work, the levels of plasma and urinary free 5-HT and 5-HIAA were investigated in eight migraine (aged 23-59 years) and ten tension-type headache suffers (aged 38-61 years). Based on the data obtained and their correlation with clinical features and in comparison with a control group, the following can be stated: (1) there is involvement of serotonin in migraine and tension-type headache during the attacks, although the positive 5-HT values from plasma were small; (2) urinary 5-HT values in migraine and tension-type headache were normal in comparison to the control group; (3) significantly decreased values of 5-HIAA in urine were found both in migraine and tension-type headache groups. These findings show that catabolism of 5-HT is probably decreased during headache periods; (4) visual aura was found in five out of ten subjects with tension-type headache.