Summary: A new study reveals a connection between light sensitive nerve cells in the eyes and areas of the brain that regulate mood. The findings may help explain how light can induce some of the negative emotions that often accompany migraines.

Source: BIDMC.

Researchers identify novel connections between neurons in the eye and neurons in the brain.

People experiencing migraines often avoid light and find relief in darkness. A new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has revealed a previously unknown connection between the light-sensitive nerve cells in the eye and centers in the brain that regulate mood and a host of physical parameters such as heart rate, shortness of breath, fatigue, congestion and nausea. The findings, which explain how light can induce the negative emotions and unpleasant physical sensations that often accompany migraine, were published online today in Proceedings of the National Academy of…