Spinal nociceptive sensitization and plasma palmitoylethanolamide levels during experimentally induced migraine attacks

De Icco R, Greco R, Demartini C, Vergobbi P, Zanaboni A, Tumelero E, Reggiani A, Realini N, Sances G, Grillo V, Allena M, Tassorelli C. Pain. 2021;162(9):2376-2385.

Controlled trialHumans

Design

Controlled trial

Subjects

24 people with episodic migraine and 19 healthy controls

Dose used in the study

No PEA given. Nitroglycerin 0.9 mg under the tongue to provoke a migraine-like attack

Duration

2 hours of measurements

What was measured

Plasma anandamide and PEA; nociceptive withdrawal reflex thresholds before and 30, 60 and 120 minutes after nitroglycerin

What the authors reported

Plasma PEA rose at 120 minutes in the migraine group but not in controls. Nitroglycerin produced spinal sensitisation in migraineurs and habituation in controls. The PEA rise and the sensitisation did not correlate.

Limits of this study

A study of the body's own PEA during provoked attacks, not a supplement trial. Listed because the migraine pages cite the mechanism. Small groups. Some authors report honoraria from migraine drug makers.

Source

PubMed 33587406 · doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002223

Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.