Migraine/Headache

The white matter state in migraine has been investigated using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures, but results using this technique are conflicting. To overcome DTI measures, we employed ensemble average diffusion propagator measures obtained with apparent measures using reduced acquisitions (AMURA). The AMURA measures were return-to-axis (RTAP), return-to-origin (RTOP) and return-to-plane probabilities (RTPP). Tract-based spatial statistics was used to compare fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity from DTI, and RTAP, RTOP and RTPP, between healthy controls, episodic migraine and chronic migraine patients. Fifty healthy controls, 54 patients with episodic migraine and 56 with chronic migraine were assessed. Significant differences were found between both types of migraine, with lower axial diffusivity values in 38 white matter regions and higher RTOP values in the middle cerebellar peduncle in patients with a chronic migraine ( < 0.05 family-wise error corrected). Significantly lower RTPP values were found in episodic migraine patients compared to healthy controls in 24 white matter regions ( < 0.05 family-wise error corrected), finding no significant differences using DTI measures. The white matter microstructure is altered in a migraine, and in chronic compared to episodic migraine. AMURA can provide additional results with respect to DTI to uncover white matter alterations in migraine.

To develop and internally validate a multivariable predictive model for days with new-onset migraine headaches based on patient self-prediction and exposure to common trigger factors.

The pathophysiological differences between menstrually-related migraine (MRM) and pure menstrual migraine (PMM) are largely unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential differences in brain structure and function between PMM and MRM. Forty-eight menstrual migraine patients (32 MRM; 16 PMM) were recruited for this study. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was applied on structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) in resting state functional MRI (rsfMRI) were calculated. No significant between-group difference was observed in the grey matter volume (GMV). MRM patients exhibited lower ALFF values at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) than PMM patients. Moreover, the MRM group showed significantly higher ReHo values in the DLPFC. Higher values in the mPFC were related to higher expression of calcitonin gene-associated peptide (CGRP) in the PMM group (r = 0.5, P = 0.048). Combined ALFF and ReHo analyses revealed significantly different spontaneous neural activity in the DLPFC and mPFC, between MRM and PMM patients, and ALFF values in the mPFC were positively correlated with CGRP expression, in the PMM group. This study enhances our understanding of the relationship between neural abnormalities and CGRP expression in individuals with PMM.