MIGRAINE IDENTITY

Presented by Lynn C. Turner, MPH

Migraine Identity
Find Your Individual Type

a collection of books and media companions with new discoveries regarding the causation of migraine and individual migraine identities

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The Migraine Prodrome Zones

The bookshelf

Enter the Prodrome Zone

Migraine Neurodiversity

2026

Migraine Neurodiversity

How to Discover Your Migraine Identity and an intro to the Energetic Soup that Launches the Attack

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Brain model from the Migraine Companion

2026

Migraine Digital Companion

A static, interactive migraine companion. It visualizes the companion's hypothesis that a migraine can begin when an "energy force" enters a deep-brain **Prodrome Zone** at a specific **angle** — different angles striking different structures and producing different prodrome (pre-migraine) symptoms.

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On the Other Side of Migraine

2024

On the Other Side of Migraine

After decades-long experience of the periodic ravaging of migraine, Turner takes the readers through a most unusual journey. Turner develops a unique theory of the ‘prodrome zone’ in the brain and suggests causes igniting this neural storm. Turner provides the readers with a synopsis of migraine and treatment through the ages. Finally, Turner connects the prodrome zone with the new hope for migraine. This stunning voyage is propelled by hope that everyone can get to “the wonderful place on the other side of migraine.” A tremendous body of work, “On the Other Side of Migraine” offers hope for the future of migraine. It is for people with migraine, people who love people who have migraine, and researchers searching for answers.

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A neural shift theory of migraine

1993

A neural shift theory of migraine

Migraine headache may lend itself to epidemiological inquiry that includes disruptive serotonergic psychosocial behaviors. To advance our knowledge of the etiology of this neurologic disorder, measurable psychosocial behaviors that are correlated with variability in monoamine neurotransmission need to be examined in the migraine population in a controlled fashion. It may be that those with migraine have a more difficult time adapting to internal or external environmental changes based on a different distribution of serotonin levels or activity. Psychosocial behaviors are outlined as possible serotonin indicator variables for future migraine investigation.

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Migraine trigger factors in non-clinical Mexican-American population in San Diego county: implications for etiology

1995

Migraine trigger factors in non-clinical Mexican-American population in San Diego county: implications for etiology

We conducted an investigation of migraine headache in a general population of Mexican-Americans living in San Diego county. Specific headache triggers were reported and analyzed, the most frequently reported for females with migraine being missing meals (58.9%), weather changes (54.4%), menstruation (53.6%), post-crisis letdown (52.7%), and fatigue (51.8%). The most frequently reported trigger factors for migraines reported by males were fatigue (58.8%), sleep (as a precipitating factor) (56.3%), post-crisis letdown (41.2%), and weather changes (37.5%). Trigger factors were further evaluated using stratification by presence or absence of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), menstrual migraine, family history of migraine, and by migraine type. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. These results suggest that subjects with migraine and RP (perhaps indicative of a systematic vascular tone disorder) and those with menstrual migraine (indicative of sensitivity to hormonal changes) may overall be more sensitive to certain environmental stimuli, particularly those involving change in the internal environment.

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Validation of a new instrument for determining migraine prevalence: the UCSD Migraine Questionnaire

1994

Validation of a new instrument for determining migraine prevalence: the UCSD Migraine Questionnaire

To provide a reliable instrument for use in large population surveys, we developed a short questionnaire based on existing International Headache Society diagnostic criteria and administered the questionnaire to 50 consecutive patients seeking evaluation at a university-based headache clinic. A single neurologist subsequently examined all patients. Based only on the questionnaires, reviewers scored each patient as having migraine with aura, migraine without aura, or nonmigrainous headache. High predictive validity and low interobserver variability between the examining neurologist and the independent reviewers suggest that the questionnaire may be quite useful as a survey instrument.

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Disclaimer: I am not a licensed physician and this information is not medical advice. Anyone experiencing headache or prodrome-like symptoms should consult their doctor or other qualified medical provider for evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment.

Lynn C Turner, MPH

About the Author

Lynn C. Turner, MPH

Lynn C. Turner holds a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from San Diego State University. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed medical journals, one with neurologist John Rothrock called, A neural shift theory of migraine. She was also instrumental in the first-ever migraine prevalence study in Hispanics in the United States, a study that included over 2,000 Mexican-Americans living in San Diego county.

In the past twenty years Turner has independently studied migraine. She has published a compelling work (On the Other Side of Migraine, 2024) that details important new ideas with the potential for significant influence on the future of migraine research.

Her most recent work is called, Migraine Neurodiversity: How to Discover Your Migraine Identity & an intro to the energetic soup that launches the attack.

This new book offers people with migraine a clearer, more complete understanding of their individual migraine pattern. It explains how to recognize prodrome symptoms – the subtle changes that can appear one or two days before the head pain begins. By learning to identify these early signals, readers can better understand their unique migraine experience at the true commencement of their attack.

Awards and honors

  • Recipient of the University Scholar Award, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University.
  • Recipient of the Dean's Research Award, College of Health and Human Services, San Diego State University.
  • Selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Diabetes, Atlanta, GA.

Publications

  • Turner LC, Rothrock J, Molgaard C. A Neural Shift Theory of Migraine. Neuroepidemiology. 1993;12(4):249.
  • Turner LC, Molgaard CA, Gardner CH, Rothrock JF, Stang PE. Migraine Trigger Factors in a Non-Clinical Mexican-American Population in San Diego County: Implications for Etiology. Cephalalgia. 1995;15:523-530.
  • Tom T, Brody M, Valabhji A, Turner LC, Molgaard C, Rothrock J. Validation of a New Instrument for Determining Migraine Prevalence: The UCSD Migraine Questionnaire. Neurology. 1994;44:935-938.

Poster presentations

  • International Epidemiology Association 13th Scientific Meeting, Sydney, Australia, September 26-29, 1993. A Global Survey of the Prevalence of Migraine: Implications for Etiology.
  • XVth World Congress of Neurology, Vancouver, BC, Canada, September 5-10, 1993. Neural Shift Theory of Migraine.
  • The 5th International Headache Congress, Paris, France, August 26-29, 1993. Prevalence of Migraine Among Mexican-Americans in San Diego, California, USA: Survey II.
  • American Association for the Study of Headaches 35th Annual Scientific Meeting, San Francisco, CA, June 25-27, 1993. Prevalence of Migraine Among Mexican-Americans in San Diego, California: Survey I.
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