There’s good news for migraine victims with researchers at QUT in the final stages of developing a new form of relief.

And this week the Brain Foundation is providing headache sufferers with the latest information to ease the pain.

Helena Webb reports.

TRANSCRIPT

Professor Lyn Griffiths is one of the first scientists in the world to study the DNA links for migraines.

She and her world leading team propose there’s a strong genetic link to the disorder, with 90 per cent of people who experience migraines having a relative with the same problem.

Professor Lyn Griffiths, Executive Director QUT IHBI: “From our point of view, if we can identify the genes that play a role, we’ll be able to develop better diagnostics and also better treatments for migraines.”

Funding for the research is being helped by the Brain Foundation.

They were in Brisbane today as part of their ‘Headache and Migraine Awareness Week’, where people had the chance to sign up to join the headache register.

Sue Walters, Brain Foundation Volunteer: “Well we hope to find a breakthrough for people because there are millions of people who suffer from this and the sooner we can get a treatment for them the better.”

With an average of 12 per cent of Australians suffering from migraines, Professor Griffiths is urging these people to join the register, where they can access the latest news and research.

Vox: “I saw that a lot of people take time off work because of migraines and headaches and I work in a large HR firm in the city here and I see this all the time. So I just wanted to get a bit more information.”

Vox: “Well just the history of headaches in my family and just to help my wife out, she gets headaches and we are trying to track that down.”

Vox: “I am hopeful, I was excited to hear about new research.”

Whilst there are more traditional methods of therapy that have been used for thousands of years.

Hopefully Australian migraine sufferers will not be in the dark for much longer.

The possible cure is in its last phase of trials and we could expect to see a tablet on the market in just over a year.

Helena Webb, QUT News.