It's that terrible pain after an ice cold drink or a big scoop of ice cream causes the dreaded "brain freeze" - often dubbed an "ice cream headache." A new study claims to have finally unlocked clues about sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. Researchers say their findings may lead to better treatments for other headache sufferers, such as people with migraines or those with traumatic brain injuries.
For the study, presented at the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting in San Diego, researchers monitored participants' blood flow in their brains with a "transcranial Doppler test," and found the sudden headache seems to be triggered by an abrupt increase in blood flow on the brain's anterior cerebral artery upon consuming something cold. The pain disappears when that artery constricts, an effect researchers reproduced by having participants drink warm water.
Since migraine sufferers are more likely to experience brain freeze, it may share traits with other types of headaches. New drugs that block widening of the blood vessels - called vasodilation - could improve treatment for sufferers.
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