Longitudinal changes in cerebral blood flow velocities in different clinical courses of migraine

Hypoperfusion of periaqueductal gray as an imaging biomarker in chronic migraine beyond diagnosis: A 3D pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling MR imaging

BACKGROUND

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is at the center of a powerful descending antinociceptive neuronal network, and is a key node in the descending pain regulatory system of pain. However, less is known about the altered perfusion of PAG in chronic migraine (CM).

AIM

To measure the perfusion of PAG matter, an important structure in pain modulation, in CM with magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion without contrast administration.

METHODS

Three-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (3D-PCASL) and brain structure imaging were performed in 13 patients with CM and 15 normal subjects. The inverse deformation field generated by brain structure image segmentation was applied to the midbrain PAG template to generate individualized PAG. Then the perfusion value of the PAG area of the midbrain was extracted based on the individual PAG mask.

RESULTS

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) value of PAG in CM patients (47.98 ± 8.38 mL/100 mg min) was significantly lower than that of the control group (59.87 ± 14.24 mL/100 mg min). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve was 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60, 0.94), and the cutoff value for the diagnosis of CM was 54.83 mL/100 mg min with a sensitivity 84.60% and a specificity 60%.

CONCLUSION

Imaging evidence of the impaired pain conduction pathway in CM may be related with the decreased perfusion in the PAG, which could be considered as an imaging biomarker for the diagnosis and therapy evaluation.

Cerebrovascular reactivity after functional activation of the Brain using Photic Stimulation in Migraine and Tension Type Headache: a transcranial doppler Ultrasonography Study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies in headache patients measured the cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in response to photic stimulation but they have yielded contradictory results. The purpose of study was to measure CVR of both migraine and chronic tension headache (TTH) patients in response to photic stimulation.

METHODS

The study included 37 migraineurs and 24 chronic TTH patients compared with 50 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Peak systolic, end diastolic, mean flow velocities and CVR (PSV, EDV, MFV, and CVR) were measured using TCD ultrasonography of the middle, anterior, posterior cerebral and vertebral arteries (MCA, ACA, PCA, and VA) before and after 100 s of 14 Hz photic stimulation.

RESULTS

A three-way repeated measures ANOVA interaction with main factors of Vessels (MCA, ACA, PCA, VA), Time (pre-post photic) and Groups (migraine, TTH, and control group) revealed significant 3-way interactions for measures of PSV (P = 0.012) and MFV (P = 0.043). In the migraine patients there was significantly higher PSV, EDV, and MFV in the MCA, ACA, and PCA after photic stimulation compared with baseline. The CVR of the MCA was also significantly higher in migraineurs than controls. In the TTH group, there was significantly higher PSV, EDV, and MFV (P = 0.003, 0.012, 0.002 respectively) in the VA after photic stimulation than at baseline. The CVR was significantly higher in the VA of TTH patients than controls.

CONCLUSION

Compared with controls after photic stimulation, the higher CVR of the MCA in migraineurs and of the VA in TTH patients could be used as diagnostic tool to differentiate between the two types of headaches.

Cerebrovascular function in tension-type headache and migraine with or without aura: Transcranial Doppler study

The aim of the current study was to determine whether tension-type headache (TTH) and migraine with or without aura have altered anterior and posterior circulation compared with normal volunteers as assessed by Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography. The study included 24 patients with chronic TTH and 37 patients with migraine (16 with aura and 21 without aura) classified according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society 2018. They were compared with a control group of 50 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Each participant was examined with TCD ultrasonography of the middle, anterior and posterior cerebral and vertebral arteries (MCA, ACA, PCA, and VA) at rest. Patients in the TTH group had a significantly lower peak systolic velocity (PSV) and mean flow velocity (MFV) in the MCA compared with controls, whereas EDV and MFV in the ACA were significantly higher in the migraine without aura group than controls. Within the 3 groups of patients, the TTH group had significantly lower PSV in the MCA and PCA than the group of migraine with aura. In addition, the TTH group had significantly lower PSV and MFV in the MCA and a lower EDV in the VA than migraine patients without aura. In conclusion, the possibility of cerebrovascular changes is confirmed in the present study in both TTH and migraine without aura. The former has a low MFV in the MCA whereas the latter has a high MFV in the ACA.

Cerebral Blood Flow and Other Predictors of Responsiveness to Erenumab and Fremanezumab in Migraine-A Real-Life Study

Introduction

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) showed efficacy in migraine prevention. The aim of this study was to check if baseline clinical parameters and cerebral blood flow (CBF) measured by transcranial Doppler (TCD) may help predict mAbs efficacy.

Methods

Electronic charts of migraineurs treated with erenumab or fremanezumab, with baseline TCD evaluations were collected, including data on migraine type, pain localization, monthly migraine days (MMD), medication overuse headache (MOH), mean blood flow velocity (Vm), and pulsatility index (PI) in cerebral arteries.

Results

A total of 123 patients were enrolled, mean age 38, 75 years, 87 with chronic migraine, 61 with MOH, 72 were good responders (GR), and reported ≥50% reduction in MMD, 43 ≥75% reduction in MMD. Baseline Vm values in MCAs were significantly lower in GR as compared with non-responders. MAbs responsiveness ≥50% was positively associated with unilateral pain localization (OR: 6.53, 95% CI: 2.01–23.93; p = 0.003) and HIT-6 score (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.01–1.30; p = 0.036) whereas negatively associated with Vm in right MCA (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92–0.99; p = 0.012), and having no relatives with migraine (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16–0.95; p = 0.040).

Conclusions

Baseline Vm in MCA is lower in mAbs GR as compared with non-responders which may reflect increased secretion of CGRP with further vasodilation in GR. Simple clinical features and baseline CBF in anterior circulation might help to predict the patient's responsiveness.

The implementation of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography for preclinical study of migraine

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography is used to study intracranial blood flow changes associated with migraine in humans, but whether this method is helpful in preclinical settings is yet unknown. In order to identify changes in rat intracranial blood flow specific to the trigeminovascular activation - a key process in migraine pathophysiology, we measured Doppler indices in the middle cerebral artery and basilar artery before, during, and after dural or somatosensory electrical stimulation. Haemodynamic changes specific to dural stimulation were tested further in separate experiments. After baseline recordings, the animals received cumulative infusions of valproate (100 mg/kg, trice), sumatriptan (0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg) or saline, and dural stimulation with the measurement of Doppler indices was repeated every 10 min for 1 hour. Several parameters of blood flow in the rat middle cerebral artery underwent alterations specific to the trigeminovascular activation. These changes, however, were insensitive to valproate and sumatriptan and diminished over time. These findings question the reliability of blood flow velocity variations in large intracranial vessels as biological markers of migraine-related processes and do not support the idea of using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography for preclinical screening of anti-migraine treatments, at least in the model of acute trigeminovascular activation in rats.

Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow after Erenumab Treatment in Good and Non-Responders-A Pilot Study of Migraine Patients

Erenumab showed efficacy in migraine prevention, however we cannot identify which patients to treat by predicting efficacy response. The aim of this study was to compare changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) reflected by transcranial Doppler (TCD) in erenumab good responders (GR) and non-responders, in order to identify a parameter that could predict the treatment response. In this study, migraineurs treated with erenumab underwent clinical and TCD evaluations before and 6 weeks after the treatment, including data on migraine type, monthly migraine days (MMD), medication overuse headache (MOH) presence, mean blood flow velocity (Vm) and pulsatility index (PI) in cerebral arteries (CA). GR were defined as reporting ≥50% reduction in MMD. Thirty women were enrolled, of mean age 40.53 years, 20 with chronic migraine, 14 with MOH, and 19 were GR. Baseline Vm values in right CA and basilar artery (BA) were significantly lower in GR as compared with non-responders. Vm values in all arteries significantly increased after the treatment as compared with corresponding baseline values, but only in GR. A significant negative correlation was observed between baseline Vm in right CA and treatment effectiveness. Baseline Vm in right CA and basilar artery is reduced in erenumab GR as compared with non-responders. This asymmetry normalizes after the treatment with significant Vm increase in CA which may reflect CBF increase in GR only. Lower baseline Vm in right CA may predict erenumab efficacy; however, these results should be replicated in a larger cohort.

Effect of occipitoatlantal decompression on cerebral blood flow dynamics as evaluated by Doppler ultrasonography

Context

Osteopathic manipulative treatment reduces symptoms in patients with headache disorders, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear.

Objective

To evaluate blood flow in the intracranial and extracranial vasculature before and after occipitoatlantal decompression (OAD) using Doppler ultrasonography.

Methods

Healthy, first-year osteopathic medical students from A.T. Still University's Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine participated in a randomized, single-blinded, two-period, two-treatment crossover study. The participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment interventions: OAD or sham touch. After one week, participants returned to have the other intervention performed. Blood flow parameters-peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV)-in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), internal carotid artery (ICA), and vertebral artery (VA) were evaluated before, immediately after, 5 minutes after, and 10 minutes after treatment. Differences in PSV, EDV, heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) for both interventions were analyzed for the four time points using mixed-effects models.

Results

Thirty healthy medical students (11 men, 19 women; mean age, 24 years) participated in this study. EDV increased after OAD in the MCA, ICA, and VA (all p<0.001); no change occurred after sham touch (all p>0.05). EDV was greater for all post-treatment timepoints after OAD in the MCA, ICA, and VA than after sham touch (all p<0.001). Although baseline PSV in the MCA measured before treatment was different between treatment interventions (p=0.01), no difference was found between interventions at any post-treatment time point (all p>0.59). Changes in PSV in the ICA and VA and for HR and BP did not depend on treatment intervention (p>0.06).

Conclusion

Increases in EDV occurred in major cranial arteries after OAD but not after sham touch, indicating that OAD improves blood flow to the brain. The exact mechanism of this increase is unknown; however, it can be explained by either parasympathetic stimulation through the secretion of vasodilating neurotransmitters or by a decrease in external tissue pressure on ICA and VA, with the resulting flow causing further dilation in the MCA.

From transformation to chronification of migraine: pathophysiological and clinical aspects

Chronic migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by 15 or more headache days per month of which at least 8 days show typical migraine features. The process that describes the development from episodic migraine into chronic migraine is commonly referred to as migraine transformation or chronification. Ample studies have attempted to identify factors associated with migraine transformation from different perspectives. Understanding CM as a pathological brain state with trigeminovascular participation where biological changes occur, we have completed a comprehensive review on the clinical, epidemiological, genetic, molecular, structural, functional, physiological and preclinical evidence available.

Low-frequency facial hemodynamic oscillations distinguish migraineurs from non-headache controls

Background

Surface imaging is a promising, noninvasive approach to assess regional perfusion in craniovascular disorders such as migraine.

Methods

We used optical imaging to examine differences in facial blood volume at baseline and in response to ammonia inhalation (a noxious stimulus), as well as standardized measures of cardiovascular autonomic function, in healthy, non-headache controls (n = 43) and in interictal migraine subjects (n = 22).

Results

Resting facial cutaneous oscillation (FCO) frequency was significantly different in migraine compared to healthy controls. Following ammonia inhalation, healthy controls showed a significant increase in resting FCO frequency, whereas this response was not significant in the migraine group. Standardized autonomic reflex parameters did not differ significantly between study groups, and facial cutaneous activity did not correlate with standardized cardiovascular autonomic reflex parameters, suggesting potentially different regulation.

Conclusions

This approach to the assessment of craniofacial hemodynamic function appears to exhibit differing mechanisms from previously available techniques, and represents a promising new physiological biomarker for the study of craniofacial vascular function in migraine and potentially other craniovascular disorders.

Migraine Genetic Variants Influence Cerebral Blood Flow

Objective

To investigate the association of migraine genetic variants with cerebral blood flow (CBF).

Background

Migraine is a common disorder with many genetic and non‐genetic factors affecting its occurrence. The exact pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the disease remain unclear, but are known to involve hemodynamic and vascular disruptions. Recent genome‐wide association studies have identified 44 genetic variants in 38 genetic loci that affect the risk of migraine, which provide the opportunity to further disentangle these mechanisms.

Methods

We included 4665 participants of the population‐based Rotterdam Study (mean age 65.0 ± 10.9 years, 55.6% women). Cross‐sectional area (mm²), flow velocity (mm/s), and blood flow (mL/min) were measured in both carotids and the basilar artery using 2‐dimensional phase‐contrast magnetic resonance imaging. We analyzed 43 previously identified migraine variants separately and calculated a genetic risk score (GRS). To assess the association with CBF, we used linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and total brain volume. Hierarchical clustering was performed based on the associations with CBF measures and tissue enrichment.

Results

The rs67338227 risk allele was associated with higher flow velocity and smaller cross‐sectional area in the carotids (P_minimum = 3.7 × 10⁻⁸). Other variants were related to CBF with opposite directions of effect, but not significantly after multiple testing adjustments (P < 1.4 × 10⁻⁴). The migraine GRS was not associated with CBF after multiple testing corrections. Migraine risk variants were found to be enriched for flow in the basilar artery (λ = 2.39).

Conclusions

These findings show that genetic migraine risk is complexly associated with alterations in cerebral hemodynamics.

Cerebrovascular reactivity as a determinant of deep white matter hyperintensities in migraine

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between the cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide (CO₂-CVR) and the deep white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden in patients with migraine.

METHODS

A total of 86 nonelderly patients with episodic migraine without vascular risk factors and 35 headache-free controls underwent 3T MRI. Deep WMHs were quantified with a segmentation method developed for nonelderly migraineurs. The interictal CO₂-CVR was measured with transcranial Doppler with the breath-holding method. The mean breath-holding index of the bilateral middle cerebral arteries (MCA-BHI) was square root transformed and analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to determine its association with the highest tertiles of deep WMH burden (number and volume).

RESULTS

A low MCA-BHI was independently associated with the highest tertile of deep WMH number in patients with migraine (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.0007-0.63, p = 0.026). In controls, the MCA-BHI was not associated with deep WMH number. Interaction analysis revealed that migraine modified the effect of MCA-BHI on deep WMH number (p for interaction = 0.029). The MCA-BHI was not associated with increased deep WMH volume in both patients and controls. Age was independently associated with deep WMH volume in patients (adjusted OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.004-1.15, p = 0.037).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we found a migraine-specific association between a reduced CVR to apnea and increased number of deep WMHs in healthy, nonelderly patients with migraine. A dysfunctional vascular response to apnea may predispose migraineurs to an increased risk of WMHs.