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Li Y, Cheng J, Cao Y, Chen K, Liu K, Zhang X, Wu X, Wang Z, Liu X. Increased effective connectivity from the hypothalamus to the left superior frontal gyrus and its association with visual analogue scale in persons with migraines. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2024; 14:6285-6293. [PMID: 39281172 PMCID: PMC11400693 DOI: 10.21037/qims-24-588] [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: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
Background In recent years, several functional imaging studies have shown that the hypothalamus is closely associated with migraine and have suggested that the hypothalamus may be a potential site of migraine generation. Studying the characteristics of the functional network of the hypothalamus in persons with migraines may help to understand the neural mechanisms of migraine. We thus used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) and Granger causal analysis to investigate the effective connectivity (EC) of the hypothalamus in persons with migraines. Methods The study included 17 healthy volunteers and 39 persons with migraines. The EC calculation was based on rsfMRI data from a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The brain networks of the hypothalamus were compared using a general linear model to determine if there were any differences between the two groups. We used Pearson correlation analysis to examine the correlation between EC values in abnormal brain regions and clinical variables. Results Compared with healthy controls, those with migraines showed decreased EC from the hypothalamus to the left fusiform and increased EC from the hypothalamus to the medial frontal gyrus/orbital part, right lingual gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, and right middle frontal gyrus (P<0.05). Meanwhile, persons with migraines also showed decreased EC from the left middle frontal gyrus and right medial frontal gyrus/orbital part to the hypothalamus (P<0.05). EC from the hypothalamus to the left superior frontal gyrus correlated significantly and positively with the visual analogue scale in those with migraines (r=-0.3820; P=0.0164). Conclusions Disturbances in the EC between the hypothalamus and the prefrontal gyrus and visual cortex may play a key role in the neuropathological features of persons with migraines. The current study adds to our understanding of the complexity of migraine mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jinming Cheng
- Department of Neurology, the Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yungang Cao
- Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Keyang Chen
- Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Xingtai People's Hospital, Xingtai, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Wu
- Department of Neurology, the Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zhihong Wang
- Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiaozheng Liu
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Cao W, Jiao L, Zhou H, Zhong J, Wang N, Yang J. Right-to-left shunt-associated brain functional changes in migraine: evidences from a resting-state FMRI study. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1432525. [PMID: 39281370 PMCID: PMC11392749 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1432525] [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: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Migraine, a neurological condition perpetually under investigation, remains shrouded in mystery regarding its underlying causes. While a potential link to Right-to-Left Shunt (RLS) has been postulated, the exact nature of this association remains elusive, necessitating further exploration. Methods The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC) were employed to investigate functional segregation and functional integration across distinct brain regions. Graph theory-based network analysis was utilized to assess functional networks in migraine patients with RLS. Pearson correlation analysis further explored the relationship between RLS severity and various functional metrics. Results Compared with migraine patients without RLS, patients with RLS exhibited a significant increase in the ALFF within left middle occipital and superior occipital gyrus; In migraine patients with RLS, significantly reduced brain functional connectivity was found, including the connectivity between default mode network and visual network, ventral attention network, as well as the intra-functional connectivity of somatomotor network and its connection with the limbic network, and also the connectivity between the left rolandic operculum and the right middle cingulate gyrus. Notably, a significantly enhanced functional connectivity between the frontoparietal network and the ventral attention network was found in migraine with RLS; Patients with RLS displayed higher values of the normalized clustering coefficient and greater betweenness centrality in specific regions, including the left precuneus, right insula, and right inferior temporal gyrus. Additionally, these patients displayed a diminished nodal degree in the occipital lobe and reduced nodal efficiency within the fusiform gyrus; Further, the study found positive correlations between ALFF in the temporal lobes, thalamus, left middle occipital, and superior occipital gyrus and RLS severity. Conversely, negative correlations emerged between ALFF in the right inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and insula and RLS grading. Finally, the study identified a positive correlation between angular gyrus betweenness centrality and RLS severity. Conclusion RLS-associated brain functional alterations in migraine consisted of local brain regions, connectivity, and networks involved in pain conduction and regulation did exist in migraine with RLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfei Cao
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Jiao
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huizhong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Nizhuan Wang
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiajun Yang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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3
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Del Moro L, Pirovano E, Rota E. Mind the Metabolic Gap: Bridging Migraine and Alzheimer's disease through Brain Insulin Resistance. Aging Dis 2024:AD.2024.0351. [PMID: 38913047 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2024.0351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain insulin resistance has recently been described as a metabolic abnormality of brain glucose homeostasis that has been proven to downregulate insulin receptors, both in astrocytes and neurons, triggering a reduction in glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis. This condition may generate a mismatch between brain's energy reserve and expenditure, mainly during high metabolic demand, which could be involved in the chronification of migraine and, in the long run, at least in certain subsets of patients, in the prodromic phase of Alzheimer's disease, along a putative metabolic physiopathological continuum. Indeed, the persistent disruption of glucose homeostasis and energy supply to neurons may eventually impair protein folding, an energy-requiring process, promoting pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease, such as amyloid-β deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation. Hopefully, the "neuroenergetic hypothesis" presented herein will provide further insight on there being a conceivable metabolic bridge between chronic migraine and Alzheimer's disease, elucidating novel potential targets for the prophylactic treatment of both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Del Moro
- Personalized Medicine, Asthma and Allergy, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano (MI), Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
| | - Elenamaria Pirovano
- Center for Research in Medical Pharmacology, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Eugenia Rota
- Neurology Unit, San Giacomo Hospital, Novi Ligure, ASL AL, Italy
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Chen Z, Liu Y, Lin C, Li Z, Shan J, Duan Z, Rong L, Wei X, Xiao L, Liu H. Aberrant cerebral blood flow and functional connectivity in patients with vestibular migraine: a resting-state ASL and fMRI study. J Headache Pain 2024; 25:84. [PMID: 38773396 PMCID: PMC11107056 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-024-01792-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior neuroimaging studies on vestibular migraine (VM) have extensively certified the functional and structural alterations in multiple brain regions and networks. However, few studies have assessed the cerebral blood flow (CBF) in VM patients using arterial spin labeling (ASL). The present study aimed to investigate CBF and functional connectivity (FC) alterations in VM patients during interictal periods. METHODS We evaluated 52 VM patients and 46 healthy controls (HC) who received resting-state pseudo-continuous ASL and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Comparisons of voxel-based CBF and seed-based FC were performed between the two groups. Brain regions showed significant group differences in CBF analyses were chosen as seeds in FC analyses. Additionally, the associations between abnormal imaging results and clinical features were explored. RESULTS Compared with HC, VM patients showed higher normalized CBF in the right precentral gyrus (PreCG), left postcentral gyrus (PostCG), left superior frontal gyrus and bilateral insular (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Furthermore, VM patients exhibited increased FC between the right PreCG and areas of the left PostCG, left cuneus and right lingual gyrus (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). In addition, we observed decreased FC between the left insular and regions of the left thalamus and right anterior cingulate cortex, as well as increased FC between the left insular and right fusiform gyrus in VM patients (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Moreover, these variations in brain perfusion and FC were significantly correlated with multiple clinical features including frequency of migraine symptoms, frequency of vestibular symptoms and disease duration of VM (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Patients with VM during interictal period showed hyperperfusion and abnormal resting-state FC in brain regions potentially contributed to disrupted multi-sensory and autonomic processing, as well as impaired ocular motor control, pain modulation and emotional regulation. Our study provided novel insights into the complex neuropathology of VM from a CBF perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Chen
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China
| | - Yueji Liu
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China
| | - Cunxin Lin
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China
| | - Zhining Li
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China
| | - Junjun Shan
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China
| | - Zuowei Duan
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China
| | - Liangqun Rong
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China
| | - Xiue Wei
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China
| | - Lijie Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China.
| | - Haiyan Liu
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.32, Meijian Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221006, China.
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Wang L, Dai C, Gao M, Geng Z, Hu P, Wu X, Wang K. Patients with episodic migraine without aura have an increased rate of delayed discounting. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3367. [PMID: 38376010 PMCID: PMC10761331 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore decision-making impulsivity and its neural mechanisms in patients with episodic migraine without aura (EMoA). BACKGROUND Previous evidence indicates increased impulsivity and altered reward processing in patients with chronic migraine and medication overuse; however, whether the same holds true for those with EMoA is unclear. METHODS Patients newly diagnosed with EMoA (n = 51) and healthy controls (HC, n = 45) were recruited. All participants completed delay discounting task, cognitive assessments, a questionnaire for headache profile, and resting-state function magnetic resonance imaging scans. Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the regions of interest and the entire brain was explored. RESULTS Patients with EMoA showed a steeper subjective discount rate than HCs (F = 4.74, p = .032), which was positively related to a history of migraines (r = .742, p < .001). RSFC among the ventral striatum (vSTR), ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and occipital cortex was lower in patients with EMoA than in control groups, which was correlated with history (r' = .294, p = .036) and subjective discount rate (r' = .380, p = .006). Additionally, discounting rates and RSFC between the vSTR and occipital regions were significantly abnormal in the triptan group than the non-triptan group. Mediating effect analysis indicated a significant mediating effect in the change in RSFC between the vSTR and occipital status, history of triptan use, and subjective discount rate. CONCLUSION This study further elucidated that an increase in delayed discounting rate exists in patients with EMoA and is related to the abnormality of the value processing network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric DisordersHefeiChina
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental HealthHefeiChina
| | - Chenyang Dai
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric DisordersHefeiChina
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental HealthHefeiChina
| | - Manman Gao
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric DisordersHefeiChina
| | - Zhi Geng
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric DisordersHefeiChina
| | - Panpan Hu
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric DisordersHefeiChina
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental HealthHefeiChina
| | - Xingqi Wu
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric DisordersHefeiChina
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental HealthHefeiChina
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
- School of Mental Health and Psychological SciencesAnhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
- Institute of Artificial IntelligenceHefei Comprehensive National Science CenterHefeiChina
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric DisordersHefeiChina
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental HealthHefeiChina
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational MedicineAnhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
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6
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Dobos D, Kökönyei G, Gyebnár G, Szabó E, Kocsel N, Galambos A, Gecse K, Baksa D, Kozák LR, Juhász G. Microstructural differences in migraine: A diffusion-tensor imaging study. Cephalalgia 2023; 43:3331024231216456. [PMID: 38111172 DOI: 10.1177/03331024231216456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffusion-tensor imaging can be applied to describe the microstructural integrity of the whole brain. As findings about microstructural alterations in migraine are inconsistent, we aimed to replicate the most frequent results and assess a relationship between migraine parameters and changes in microstructure. METHODS Diffusion-weighted MRI data of 37 migraine patients and 40 controls were collected. Two indices of diffusion of water molecules, fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were used in a voxel-wise analysis. Group comparisons were carried out in SPM12 using age and sex as covariates. Statistically significant results survived family-wise error correction (pFWE < 0.05). Migraine intensity, frequency, and duration were self-reported and correlated with mean fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity values across clusters. RESULTS Migraine patients showed significantly lower fractional anisotropy in occipital regions, and significantly higher fractional anisotropy in thirteen clusters across the brain. Mean diffusivity of migraine patients was significantly decreased in the cerebellum and pons, but it was not increased in any area. Correlation between migraine duration and fractional anisotropy was significantly positive in the frontal cortex and significantly negative in the superior parietal lobule. CONCLUSION We suggest that microstructural integrity of the migraine brain is impaired in visual areas and shows duration-related alterations in regions of the default mode network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dóra Dobos
- NAP3.0-SE Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- SE NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyöngyi Kökönyei
- NAP3.0-SE Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- SE NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyula Gyebnár
- Magnetic Resonance Research Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Edina Szabó
- SE NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Natália Kocsel
- SE NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Galambos
- SE NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga Gecse
- NAP3.0-SE Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- SE NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dániel Baksa
- NAP3.0-SE Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- SE NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Personality and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pazmany Peter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lajos R Kozák
- Magnetic Resonance Research Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Juhász
- NAP3.0-SE Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- SE NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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7
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Mäki-Marttunen V, Kies DA, Pijpers JA, Louter MA, van der Wee NJ, Rombouts SARB, Nieuwenhuis S, Kruit M, Terwindt GM. Functional connectivity of the visual cortex in chronic migraine before and after medication withdrawal therapy. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 40:103543. [PMID: 37988998 PMCID: PMC10701079 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Acute withdrawal of headache medication in chronic migraine patients with medication overuse may lead to a dramatic reduction in headache frequency and severity. However, the brain networks underlying chronic migraine and a favorable response to acute withdrawal are still poorly understood. The goal of the present study was to characterize the pattern of intrinsic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) functional connectivity (FC) specific to chronic migraine and to identify changes in FC that characterize subjects with CM reverting to less frequent headaches. Subjects with chronic migraine (N = 99) underwent a resting-state functional MRI scan before and after three months of medication withdrawal therapy. In addition, we included four control groups who were scanned once: healthy participants (N = 27), patients with episodic migraine (N = 25), patients with chronic back pain (N = 22), and patients with clinical depression (N = 17). Using dual regression analysis, we compared whole-brain voxel-level functional connectivity with ten well-known resting-state networks between chronic migraine and control groups, and between responders to treatment (≥50 % reduction in monthly headache days) and non-responders (<50 % reduction), before and after treatment. Subjects with chronic migraine showed differences in FC with a number of RS-networks, most of which involved the visual cortex, compared with healthy controls. A comparison with patients with episodic migraine, chronic pain and depression showed differences in the same direction, suggesting that altered patterns of functional connectivity in chronic migraine patients could to some extent be explained by shared symptomatology with other pain, depression, or migraine conditions. A comparison between responders and non-responders indicated that effective withdrawal reduced FC with the visual cortex for responders. Interestingly, responders already differed in functional connectivity of the visual cortex at baseline compared with non-responders. Altogether, we show that chronic migraine and successful medication withdrawal therapy are linked to changes in the functional connectivity of the visual cortex. These neuroimaging findings provide new insights into the pathways underlying migraine chronification and its reversibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Mäki-Marttunen
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis A Kies
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Judith A Pijpers
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A Louter
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nic J van der Wee
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Serge A R B Rombouts
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sander Nieuwenhuis
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Kruit
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gisela M Terwindt
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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