Transcranial Electrical Stimulation in Migraine – How Does It Work and What Can We Learn from It?

Although being one of the most common neurological disorders, migraine is commonly misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Current treatments rely on pharmacological approaches, which have been shown not to be effective for all, and so alternative, non-invasive treatments are being sought. Transcranial stimulation could be a possible treatment for migraine. Transcranial electrical stimulation generally involves applying a current to the cortex via the scalp. Whilst this has previously been mostly done in clinical settings, the advance of technology means that devices intended for use in the home are becoming more readily available. However, one of the major drawbacks is that we are not sure about the mode of action of transcranial electrical neurostimulation specifically in the case of migraine. The purpose of this review is to consolidate our current understanding of how these methods are thought to work in the case of migraine, considering not only their effectiveness in attempting to treat migraine, but also as a tool to understand migraine as a disorder.