Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of severe unilateral throbbing head pain and associated symptoms, such as photophobia. Our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying migraine has been hampered by limitations in ascertaining migraine symptoms in animal models. Clinical studies have established the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) as a key player in migraine. Here, we establish a genetic model of photophobia by engineering increased sensitivity to CGRP in mice. These transgenic mice (nestin/hRAMP1) display light-aversive behavior that is greatly enhanced by intracerebroventricular injection of CGRP and blocked by coadministration of the CGRP receptor antagonist olcegepant. This behavior appears to be an indicator of photophobia and cannot be fully explained by gross abnormality of ocular anatomy or differences in general anxiety or motor activity. Our findings demonstrate that a single gene, receptor activity-modifying protein 1 (RAMP1), can be a modifier of photophobia and, by extension, suggest that genetic or epigenetic modulation of RAMP1 levels may contribute to migraine susceptibility. Moreover, they validate CGRP hypersensitive mice as a tool for exploring the neurobiology and novel therapies for migraine and other disorders involving photophobia.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
5
5%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
4
4%
Other
7
7%
Unknown
30
30%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 25. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 19 May 2026.
All research outputs
#1,924,582
of 34,536,218 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Neuroscience
#2,420
of 23,432 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#5,919
of 174,115 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Neuroscience
#16
of 223 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,536,218 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 94th percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 23,432 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 15.2. This one has done well, scoring higher than 89% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 174,115 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 96% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 223 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 92% of its contemporaries.
