Migraine pathophysiology involves dilation and excessive pulsation of branches of which artery?

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Migraine headaches involve activation of the trigeminovascular system, which triggers the release of vasoactive peptides like CGRP that cause dilation of meningeal vessels. The vessels most responsible for this pulsatile pain are the dural arteries supplied by branches of the external carotid artery (for example, the middle meningeal artery). This extracranial vascular dilation produces the characteristic throbbing headache. In contrast, the intracranial arteries fed by the internal carotid system or the vertebrobasilar/basilar system are not the primary drivers of the pulsatile dilation seen in migraine. Therefore, the best answer is the branches of the external carotid artery.