Abstract: Objective  To observe the predictors of cutaneous allodynia（CA） in migraine patients and the effects of pregabalin in alleviating CA. Methods  Sixty-three patients with migraine were included and divided into two groups，CA group（41 patients）and non-CA group（22 patients），according to Allodynia Symptom Checklist（ASC）. The presence of CA, its type and severity, and details of headache were enquired and the predictors of CA were analyzed. Forty-one patients with CA were treated with pregabalin (150-300 mg/d) for 12 weeks. The improvements of allodynia and headache were recorded after 1 and 3 months treatment and the effect of pregabalin on CA was discussed. Side effects of the drug were recorded. Results  CA appeared in 65.1% patients with migraine， including thermal CA in 85.4%， static mechanical CA in 29.4% and dynamic CA in 22.0%. CA was associated with gender, duration of illness and medication-overuse. Compared with baseline, pregabalin significantly reduced the severity and the number of patients with allodynia after 1 and 3 months treatment (P<0.05). The frequency and severity of headache, MIDAS and HIT-6 scores significantly decreased after the treatment of pregabalin for 3 months compared with baseline(P<0.05). The total therapeutic effect of  pregabalin was 85.4%. Conclusion  CA appears in 65.1% patients with migraine. It is associated with gender, duration of illness and medication-overuse. Pregabalin may be effective in relieving allodynia in migraine.

Key words: Central sensitization, Allodynia, Allodynia Symptom Checklist, Pregabalin, Migraine