As per a recent report published in the journal Neuroreport, Levetiracetam (LEV) an antiepileptic drug found to significantly reduce the GABA levels in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) region of the brain which in turns reduces headache incidence and migraine severity.

GABA (γ-Aminobutyric acid) is a brain's widely distributed inhibitory neurotransmitter associated with neuronal problems like pain and the temporal modulation of neuronal excitability. The levels of GABA may be related to migraine attacks and can be used as a biomarker to detect a migraine. This study was conducted to examine the changes in GABA levels in response to Levetiracetam (LEV) among patients having migraine. A twelve-week LEV treatment was performed in fourteen migraineurs. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the levels of GABA in the medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex/posterior cingulate cortex (mPFC/ACC/PCC) before and after the therapy. Excellent efficacy of LEV was noticed in managing migraine and lowering numbers of headache. Eleven patients out of fourteen exhibited good quality spectral data of GABA in the PCC region. After the LEV treatment, a considerable decrease was found in GABA levels in the PCC region. Eight patients identified with ACC/mPFC GABA by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. No significant effect of LEV was noticed in the mPFC/ACC region. LEV could be an effective treatment option for a migraine, and variations in GABA levels could be used as a migraine biomarker.