Serum and salivary magnesium levels in migraine. Results in a group of juvenile patients.

In the last few years a fundamental role for magnesium in establishing the threshold for migraine attacks and involvement in the pathophysiologic mechanisms related to its onset has become evident. We measured serum and salivary magnesium levels in juvenile migraine patients (with and without aura) and in a group of healthy young individuals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Migraineurs were studied in migraine-free (interictal) periods and during attacks. In comparison with normal subjects, migraine patients had lower levels of serum and salivary magnesium interictally. Serum magnesium levels tended to be further reduced during attacks. With respect to the values of interictal periods we observed a reduction, not statistically significant, of salivary magnesium levels for both migraine groups. Serum, and to a lesser extent salivary magnesium level reduction, could be an expression, at the peripheral level, of reduced cerebral magnesium levels which would contribute, at least in part, to defining the threshold for migraine attacks.