Comment: Altered sphingolipid metabolism—A marker for episodic migraine?

A biological marker for migraine would be of great value in clinical practice. This collaborative study evaluated interictal, circulating sphingolipids in 52 female patients with episodic migraine compared with 36 women who did not have headaches. Total ceramide and its precursor, dihydroceramide, were decreased in the migraineurs as compared with controls, and, furthermore, some very long sphingomyelin species were increased in those with migraine. The authors suggest that serum sphingolipid panels have the potential to differentiate patients with episodic migraine from controls.