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Fitzek MP, Mecklenburg J, Overeem LH, Lange KS, Siebert A, Triller P, Neeb L, Dreier JP, Kondziella D, Reuter U, Raffaelli B. Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS): prevalence and characteristics in adults with migraine. J Neurol 2024:10.1007/s00415-024-12471-5. [PMID: 38822148 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12471-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) is a sensory disorder characterized by a distorted somatosensory and/or visual perception. Additionally, distortion of time perception and symptoms of derealization/depersonalization may occur. AIWS is frequently associated with migraine. However, its prevalence, and clinical characteristics remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the prevalence and features of AIWS in individuals with migraine. We hypothesized AIWS is more frequent in migraine patients with aura than in those without aura. METHODS This was a prospective cross-sectional cohort study, conducted at a tertiary headache center. Participants with migraine filled out questionnaires, providing details on demographics, headache, AIWS characteristics and the occurrence of transient visual phenomena such as fragmented vision. RESULTS Of 808 migraine patients, 133 individuals (16.5%, mean age 44.4 ± 13.3 years, 87% women) reported AIWS symptoms throughout their lives. Micro- and/or telopsia (72.9%) were most frequent, followed by micro- and/or macrosomatognosia (49.6%), and macro- and/or pelopsia (38.3%), lasting on average half an hour. AIWS symptoms occurred in association with headache in 65.1% of individuals, and 53.7% had their first AIWS episode at the age of 18 years or earlier. Migraine patients with aura were more likely to report AIWS symptoms than those without aura (19.5% vs. 14.1%, p = 0.04). Participants with AIWS reported a higher incidence of 17 out of the 22 investigated visual phenomena. CONCLUSION AIWS symptoms appear to be a common lifetime phenomenon in migraine patients. The correlation and clinical parallels between AIWS and migraine aura could indicate shared underlying pathomechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira P Fitzek
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Junior Clinician Scientist Program, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jasper Mecklenburg
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucas H Overeem
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristin S Lange
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Clinician Scientist Program, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anke Siebert
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Triller
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Neeb
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Helios Global Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens P Dreier
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Stroke Research, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, GermanyUniversitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Kondziella
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Uwe Reuter
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Bianca Raffaelli
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Clinician Scientist Program, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Berlin, Germany.
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Fu T, Gao Y, Huang X, Zhang D, Liu L, Wang P, Yin X, Lin H, Yuan J, Ai S, Wu X. Brain connectome-based imaging markers for identifiable signature of migraine with and without aura. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2024; 14:194-207. [PMID: 38223049 PMCID: PMC10784058 DOI: 10.21037/qims-23-827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Background Cortical spreading depression (CSD) has been considered the prominent theory for migraine with aura (MwA). However, it is also argued that CSD can exist in patients in a silent state, and not manifest as aura. Thus, the MwA classification based on aura may be questionable. This study aimed to capture whole-brain connectome-based imaging markers with identifiable signatures for MwA and migraine without aura (MwoA). Methods A total of 88 migraine patients (32 MwA) and 49 healthy controls (HC) underwent a diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. The whole-brain structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) analysis was employed to extract imaging features. The extracted features were subjected to an all-relevant feature selection process within cross-validation loops to pinpoint attributes demonstrating substantial efficacy for patient categorization. Based on the identified features, the predictive ability of the random forest classifiers constructed with the 88 migraine patients' sample was tested using an independent sample of 32 migraine patients (eight MwA). Results Compared to MwoA and HC, MwA showed two reduced SC and six FC (five increased and one reduced) features [all P<0.01, after false discovery rate (FDR) correction], involving frontal areas, temporal areas, visual areas, amygdala, and thalamus. A total of four imaging features were significantly correlated with clinical rating scales in all patients (r=-0.38 to 0.47, P<0.01, after FDR correction). The predictive ability of the random forest classifiers achieved an accuracy of 78.1% in the external sample to identify MwA. Conclusions The whole-brain connectivity features in our results may serve as connectome-based imaging markers for MwA identification. The alterations of SC and FC strength provide possible evidence in further understanding the heterogeneity and mechanism of MwA which may help for patient-specific decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Fu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yujia Gao
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaobin Huang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lindong Liu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xindao Yin
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hai Lin
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianmin Yuan
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuyue Ai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinying Wu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Petrušić I, Goadsby PJ, Tassorelli C, Coppola G. Editorial: Subtypes of typical migraine with aura: exploring markers for subtype classification and treatment response. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1301809. [PMID: 37876833 PMCID: PMC10591443 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1301809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Igor Petrušić
- Laboratory for Advanced Analysis of Neuroimages, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Peter J. Goadsby
- NIHR King's Clinical Research Facility, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Cristina Tassorelli
- Headache Science and Neurorehabilitation Centre, IRCCS C. Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gianluca Coppola
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino ICOT, Latina, Italy
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Messina R, Rocca MA, Goadsby PJ, Filippi M. Insights into migraine attacks from neuroimaging. Lancet Neurol 2023; 22:834-846. [PMID: 37478888 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(23)00152-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Migraine is one of the most common neurological diseases and it has a huge social and personal impact. Although head pain is the core symptom, individuals with migraine can have a plethora of non-headache symptoms that precede, accompany, or follow the pain. Neuroimaging studies have shown that the involvement of specific brain areas can explain many of the symptoms reported during the different phases of migraine. Recruitment of the hypothalamus, pons, spinal trigeminal nucleus, thalamus, and visual and pain-processing cortical areas starts during the premonitory phase and persists through the headache phase, contributing to the onset of pain and associated symptoms. Once the pain stops, the involvement of most brain areas ends, although the pons, hypothalamus, and visual cortex remain active after acute treatment intake and resolution of migraine symptoms. A better understanding of the correlations between imaging findings and migraine symptomatology can provide new insight into migraine pathophysiology and the mechanisms of novel migraine-specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Messina
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria A Rocca
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter J Goadsby
- NIHR King's Clinical Research Facility, King's College, London, UK; Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Neurophysiology Service, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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Mastria G, Mancini V, Viganò A, Piervincenzi C, Petsas N, Puma M, Giannì C, Pantano P, Di Piero V. Neuroimaging markers of Alice in Wonderland syndrome in patients with migraine with aura. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1210811. [PMID: 37767534 PMCID: PMC10520557 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1210811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) is a transient neurological disturbance characterized by sensory distortions most frequently associated with migraine in adults. Some lines of evidence suggest that AIWS and migraine might share common pathophysiological mechanisms, therefore we set out to investigate the common and distinct neurophysiological alterations associated with these conditions in migraineurs. Methods We conducted a case-control study acquiring resting-state fMRI data from 12 migraine patients with AIWS, 12 patients with migraine with typical aura (MA) and 24 age-matched healthy controls (HC). We then compared the interictal thalamic seed-to-voxel and ROI-to-ROI cortico-cortical resting-state functional connectivity between the 3 groups. Results We found a common pattern of altered thalamic connectivity in MA and AIWS, compared to HC, with more profound and diffuse alterations observed in AIWS. The ROI-to-ROI functional connectivity analysis highlighted an increased connectivity between a lateral occipital region corresponding to area V3 and the posterior part of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) in AIWS, compared to both MA and HC. Conclusion The posterior STS is a multisensory integration area, while area V3 is considered the starting point of the cortical spreading depression (CSD), the neural correlate of migraine aura. This interictal hyperconnectivity might increase the probability of the CSD to directly diffuse to the posterior STS or deactivating it, causing the AIWS symptoms during the ictal phase. Taken together, these results suggest that AIWS in migraineurs might be a form of complex migraine aura, characterized by the involvement of associative and multisensory integration areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Mastria
- My Space Lab, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Mancini
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Marta Puma
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Costanza Giannì
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pantano
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Di Piero
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Kong Q, Sacca V, Walker K, Hodges S, Kong J. Thalamocortical Mechanisms Underlying Real and Imagined Acupuncture. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1830. [PMID: 37509469 PMCID: PMC10377130 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Both acupuncture and imagery have shown potential for chronic pain management. However, the mechanisms underlying their analgesic effects remain unclear. This study aims to explore the thalamocortical mechanisms underlying acupuncture and video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT), a combination of acupuncture and guided imagery, using the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of three thalamic subdivisions-the ventral posterolateral thalamus (VPL), mediodorsal thalamus (MD), and motor thalamus subregion (Mthal)-associated with somatosensory, limbic, and motor circuity. Twenty-seven healthy individuals participated in a within-subject randomized crossover design study. Results showed that compared to sham acupuncture, real acupuncture altered the rsFC between the thalamus and default mode network (DMN) (i.e., mPFC, PCC, and precuneus), as well as the prefrontal and somatosensory cortex (SI/SII). Compared to the VGAIT control, VGAIT demonstrated greater rsFC between the thalamus and key nodes within the interoceptive network (i.e., anterior insula, ACC, PFC, and SI/SII), as well as the motor and sensory cortices (i.e., M1, SMA, and temporal/occipital cortices). Furthermore, compared to real acupuncture, VGAIT demonstrated increased rsFC between the thalamus (VPL/MD/Mthal) and task-positive network (TPN). Further correlations between differences in rsFC and changes in the heat or pressure pain threshold were also observed. These findings suggest that both acupuncture- and VGAIT-induced analgesia are associated with thalamocortical networks. Elucidating the underlying mechanism of VGAIT and acupuncture may facilitate their development, particularly VGAIT, which may be used as a potential remote-delivered pain management approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jian Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
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Abagnale C, Di Renzo A, Sebastianelli G, Casillo F, Tinelli E, Giuliani G, Tullo MG, Serrao M, Parisi V, Fiorelli M, Caramia F, Schoenen J, Di Piero V, Coppola G. Whole brain surface-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics in migraine with aura patients: difference between pure visual and complex auras. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1146302. [PMID: 37144161 PMCID: PMC10151576 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1146302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The migrainous aura has different clinical phenotypes. While the various clinical differences are well-described, little is known about their neurophysiological underpinnings. To elucidate the latter, we compared white matter fiber bundles and gray matter cortical thickness between healthy controls (HC), patients with pure visual auras (MA) and patients with complex neurological auras (MA+). Methods 3T MRI data were collected between attacks from 20 patients with MA and 15 with MA+, and compared with those from 19 HCs. We analyzed white matter fiber bundles using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and cortical thickness with surface-based morphometry of structural MRI data. Results Tract-based spatial statistics showed no significant difference in diffusivity maps between the three subject groups. As compared to HCs, both MA and MA+ patients had significant cortical thinning in temporal, frontal, insular, postcentral, primary and associative visual areas. In the MA group, the right high-level visual-information-processing areas, including lingual gyrus, and the Rolandic operculum were thicker than in HCs, while in the MA+ group they were thinner. Discussion These findings show that migraine with aura is associated with cortical thinning in multiple cortical areas and that the clinical heterogeneity of the aura is reflected by opposite thickness changes in high-level visual-information-processing, sensorimotor and language areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Abagnale
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino ICOT, Latina, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Sebastianelli
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino ICOT, Latina, Italy
| | - Francesco Casillo
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino ICOT, Latina, Italy
| | - Emanuele Tinelli
- Unit of Neuroradiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giada Giuliani
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Giulia Tullo
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariano Serrao
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino ICOT, Latina, Italy
| | | | - Marco Fiorelli
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Caramia
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Jean Schoenen
- Headache Research Unit, Department of Neurology, CHU de Liège, Citadelle Hospital, Liège, Belgium
| | - Vittorio Di Piero
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Coppola
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino ICOT, Latina, Italy
- *Correspondence: Gianluca Coppola,
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Karsan N, Silva E, Goadsby PJ. Evaluating migraine with typical aura with neuroimaging. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1112790. [PMID: 37025972 PMCID: PMC10070832 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1112790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To provide an up-to-date narrative literature review of imaging in migraine with typical aura, as a means to understand better migraine subtypes and aura biology. Background Characterizing subtypes of migraine with typical aura and appreciating possible biological differences between migraine with and without aura, are important to understanding the neurobiology of aura and trying to advance personalized therapeutics in this area through imaging biomarkers. One means of doing this over recent years has been the use of increasingly advanced neuroimaging techniques. Methods We conducted a literature review of neuroimaging studies in migraine with aura, using a PubMed search for terms 'imaging migraine', 'aura imaging', 'migraine with aura imaging', 'migraine functional imaging' and 'migraine structural imaging'. We collated the findings of the main studies, excluding small case reports and series with n < 6, and have summarized these and their implications for better understanding of aura mechanisms. Results Aura is likely mediated by widespread brain dysfunction in areas involving, but not limited to, visual cortex, somatosensory and insular cortex, and thalamus. Higher brain excitability in response to sensory stimulation and altered resting-state functional connectivity in migraine sufferers with aura could have a genetic component. Pure visual aura compared to visual aura with other sensory or speech symptoms as well, may involve different functional reorganization of brain networks and additional mitochondrial dysfunction mediating more aura symptoms. Conclusion There is a suggestion of at least some distinct neurobiological differences between migraine with and without aura, despite the shared phenotypic similarity in headache and other migraine-associated symptoms. It is clear from the vast majority of aura phenotypes being visual that there is a particular predisposition of the occipital cortex to aura mechanisms. Why this is the case, along with the relationships between cortical spreading depression and headache, and the reasons why aura does not consistently present in affected individuals, are all important research questions for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazia Karsan
- Headache Group, School of Neuroscience, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Nazia Karsan,
| | - Elisa Silva
- Headache Group, School of Neuroscience, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter J. Goadsby
- Headache Group, School of Neuroscience, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Piervincenzi C, Petsas N, Viganò A, Mancini V, Mastria G, Puma M, Giannì C, Di Piero V, Pantano P. Functional connectivity alterations in migraineurs with Alice in Wonderland syndrome. Neurol Sci 2023; 44:305-317. [PMID: 36114397 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-06404-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) is a neurological disorder characterized by erroneous perception of the body schema or surrounding space. Migraine is the primary cause of AIWS in adults. The pathophysiology of AIWS is largely unknown, especially regarding functional abnormalities. In this study, we compared resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of migraine patients experiencing AIWS, migraine patients with typical aura (MA) and healthy controls (HCs). METHODS Twelve AIWS, 12 MA, and 24 HCs were enrolled and underwent 3 T MRI scanning. Independent component analysis was used to identify RSNs thought to be relevant for AIWS: visual, salience, basal ganglia, default mode, and executive control networks. Dual regression technique was used to detect between-group differences in RSNs. Finally, AIWS-specific FC alterations were correlated with clinical measures. RESULTS With respect to HCs, AIWS and MA patients both showed significantly lower (p < 0.05, FDR corrected) FC in lateral and medial visual networks and higher FC in salience and default mode networks. AIWS patients alone showed higher FC in basal ganglia and executive control networks than HCs. When directly compared, AIWS patients showed lower FC in visual networks and higher FC in all other investigated RSNs than MA patients. Lastly, AIWS-specific FC alterations in the executive control network positively correlated with migraine frequency. CONCLUSIONS AIWS and MA patients showed similar FC alterations in several RSNs, although to a different extent, suggesting common pathophysiological underpinnings. However, AIWS patients showed additional FC alterations, likely due to the complexity of AIWS symptoms involving high-order associative cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Valentina Mancini
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Giulio Mastria
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,My Space Lab, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marta Puma
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Costanza Giannì
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS NEUROMED, Pozzilli, IS, Italy
| | - Vittorio Di Piero
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pantano
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS NEUROMED, Pozzilli, IS, Italy
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Fu T, Liu L, Huang X, Zhang D, Gao Y, Yin X, Lin H, Dai Y, Wu X. Cerebral blood flow alterations in migraine patients with and without aura: An arterial spin labeling study. J Headache Pain 2022; 23:131. [PMID: 36195842 PMCID: PMC9531478 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-022-01501-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Migraine aura is a transient, fully reversible visual, sensory, or other central nervous system symptom that classically precedes migraine headache. This study aimed to investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) alterations of migraine with aura patients (MwA) and without aura patients (MwoA) during inter-ictal periods, using arterial spin labeling (ASL). Methods We evaluated 88 migraine patients (32 MwA) and 44 healthy control subjects (HC) who underwent a three-dimensional pseudo-continuous ASL MRI scanning. Voxel-based comparison of normalized CBF was conducted between MwA and MwoA. The relationship between CBF variation and clinical scale assessment was further analyzed. The mean CBF values in brain regions showed significant differences were calculated and considered as imaging features. Based on these features, different machine learning–based models were established to differentiate MwA and MwoA under five-fold cross validation. The predictive ability of the optimal model was further tested in an independent sample of 30 migraine patients (10 MwA). Results
In comparison to MwoA and HC, MwA exhibited higher CBF levels in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral postcentral gyrus and cerebellum, and lower CBF levels in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, thalamus and medioventral occipital cortex (all p values < 0.05). These variations were also significantly correlated with multiple clinical rating scales about headache severity, quality of life and emotion. On basis of these CBF features, the accuracies and areas under curve of the final model in the training and testing samples were 84.3% and 0.872, 83.3% and 0.860 in discriminating patients with and without aura, respectively. Conclusion In this study, CBF abnormalities of MwA were identified in multiple brain regions, which might help better understand migraine-stroke connection mechanisms and may guide patient-specific decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Fu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, 210006, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lindong Liu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, 210006, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiaobin Huang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, 210006, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, 210006, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yujia Gao
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, 210006, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xindao Yin
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, 210006, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hai Lin
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongming Dai
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinying Wu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, No.68, Changle Road, 210006, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
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11
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Chen Y, Kang Y, Luo S, Liu S, Wang B, Gong Z, Huang Y, Wang H, Zhan S, Tan W. The cumulative therapeutic effect of acupuncture in patients with migraine without aura: Evidence from dynamic alterations of intrinsic brain activity and effective connectivity. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:925698. [PMID: 35928016 PMCID: PMC9344052 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.925698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We explored the dynamic alterations of intrinsic brain activity and effective connectivity after acupuncture treatment to investigate the underlying neurological mechanism of acupuncture treatment in patients with migraine without aura (MwoA). The Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans were separately obtained at baseline, after the first and 12th acupuncture sessions in 40 patients with MwoA. Compared with the healthy controls (HCs), patients with MwoA mostly showed a decreased dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) variability in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), superior lobe of left cerebellum (Cerebellum_Crus1_L), right precuneus (PCUN.R), and so on. The decreased dALFF variability of RVM, Cerebellum_Crus1_L, and PCUN.R progressively recovered after the first and 12th acupuncture treatment sessions as compared to the baseline. There was gradually increased dynamic effective connectivity (DEC) variability in RVM outflow to the right middle frontal gyrus, left insula, right precentral gyrus, and right supramarginal gyrus, and gradually enhanced DEC variability from the right fusiform gyrus inflow to RVM. Furthermore, the gradually increased DEC variability was found from Cerebellum_Crus1_L outflow to the left middle occipital gyrus and the left precentral gyrus, from PCUN.R outflow to the right thalamus. These dALFF variabilities were positively correlated with the frequency of migraine attacks and negatively correlated with disease duration at baseline. The dynamic Granger causality analysis (GCA) coefficients of this DEC variability were positively correlated with Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire scores and negatively correlated with the frequency of migraine attacks and visual analog scale (VAS) scores after 12th acupuncture sessions. Our results were analyzed by a longitudinal fMRI in the absence of a sham acupuncture control group and provided insight into the dynamic alterations of brain activity and effective connectivity in patients with MwoA after acupuncture intervention. Acupuncture might relieve MwoA by increasing the effective connectivity of RVM, Cerebellum_Crus1_L, and PCUN.R to make up for the decreased dALFF variability in these brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilei Chen
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingjie Kang
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shilei Luo
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhigang Gong
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanwen Huang
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Songhua Zhan
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Songhua Zhan,
| | - Wenli Tan
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Wenli Tan,
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12
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Coppola G, Corbelli I, Di Renzo A, Chiappiniello A, Chiarini P, Parisi V, Guercini G, Calabresi P, Tarducci R, Sarchielli P. Visual stimulation and frequency of focal neurological symptoms engage distinctive neurocognitive resources in migraine with aura patients: a study of resting-state functional networks. J Headache Pain 2022; 23:80. [PMID: 35820799 PMCID: PMC9277919 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-022-01446-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Several functional neuroimaging studies on healthy controls and patients with migraine with aura have shown that the activation of functional networks during visual stimulation is not restricted to the striate system, but also includes several extrastriate networks. Methods Before and after 4 min of visual stimulation with a checkerboard pattern, we collected functional MRI in 21 migraine with aura (MwA) patients and 18 healthy subjects (HS). For each recording session, we identified independent resting-state networks in each group and correlated network connection strength changes with clinical disease features. Results Before visual stimulation, we found reduced connectivity between the default mode network and the left dorsal attention system (DAS) in MwA patients compared to HS. In HS, visual stimulation increases functional connectivity between the independent components of the bilateral DAS and the executive control network (ECN). In MwA, visual stimulation significantly improved functional connectivity between the independent component pairs salience network and DAS, and between DAS and ECN. The ECN Z-scores after visual stimulation were negatively related to the monthly frequency of aura. Conclusions In individuals with MwA, 4 min of visual stimulation had stronger cognitive impact than in healthy people. A higher frequency of aura may lead to a diminished ability to obtain cognitive resources to cope with transitory but important events like aura-related focal neurological symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Coppola
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino - I.C.O.T., Via Franco Faggiana 1668, 04100, Latina, Italy.
| | - Ilenia Corbelli
- Section of Neurology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | | | | | - Pietro Chiarini
- Medical Physics Service, Azienda Ospedaliera Di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Guercini
- Neuroradiology Service, Azienda Ospedaliera Di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- Department of Neuroscience, Cattolica Sacro Cuore University, Rome, Italy.,Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Tarducci
- Medical Physics Service, Azienda Ospedaliera Di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Paola Sarchielli
- Section of Neurology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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Petrusic I, Jovanovic V, Kovic V, Savic AM. P3 latency as a biomarker for the complexity of migraine with aura: Event-related potential study. Cephalalgia 2022; 42:1022-1030. [PMID: 35332814 DOI: 10.1177/03331024221090204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to compare the P3 component between patients who have migraines with aura and healthy subjects, and to compare different subtypes of migraine with aura relative to the complexity of migraine aura. METHODS Average Migraine Aura Complexity Score was calculated for each MwA patient. Visual oddball paradigm was used to elicit the P3 component. P3 amplitudes and latencies elicited from frequent and rare stimuli, as well as from difference wave, were compared with healthy subjects. Subsequently, subtypes of migraine with aura were compared and Average Migraine Aura Complexity Score was used to explore the connection between features of the P3 and complexity of migraine with aura. RESULTS 37 patients who have migraine with aura (16 with simple aura and 21 with complex aura) patients and 28 healthy subjects were studied. Patients who have migraine with aura had significantly prolonged latencies compared to healthy subjects (411 ± 39 ms vs 372 ± 34 ms, p < 0.001) relative to a rare condition. Patients who have complex aura significantly differs from patients who have simple aura (427 ± 34 ms vs 389 ± 35 ms, p = 0.004) and healthy subjects (372 ± 34 ms, p < 0.001) relative to P3 latency in a rare condition and the patients who have complex aura significantly differs from healthy subjects (442 ± 37 ms vs 394 ± 33 ms, p < 0.001) relative to P3 latency in difference wave. P3 latency from rare condition positively correlated with the Average Migraine Aura Complexity Score (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Visual oddball paradigm, particularly rare stimuli, could serve as a potential new tool for deep profiling of different clinical complexities among patients who have migraine with aura. Also, the present pattern of P3 components provided new evidence for the cognitive dysfunctions in patients who have migraine with aura.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Petrusic
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Laboratory for Advanced Analysis of Neuroimages, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vojislav Jovanovic
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Neurocognition and Applied Cognition, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vanja Kovic
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Neurocognition and Applied Cognition, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Andrej M Savic
- University of Belgrade, School of Electrical Engineering, Science and Research Centre, Belgrade, Serbia
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