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Updated: May 12, 2026
10:39
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
Does throbbing pain have a brain signature?
Jue Mo1, Morris Maizels, Mingzhou Ding
1College of Engineering, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Pain
|April 6, 2013
Summary
Throbbing pain, often linked to migraines, may not be arterial. This study suggests rhythmic alpha power modulations in brain activity correlate with the intensity of persistent throbbing sensations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
Background:
- Throbbing pain is a common migraine symptom, often presumed to be linked to arterial pulsations.
- Previous research challenged this link but lacked an alternative explanation for the rhythmic pain quality.
Observation:
- A case study of a patient with chronic migraine experienced persistent throbbing sensations even after headache resolution.
- Simultaneous recordings of subjective throbbing, arterial pulse, and high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) were performed.
Findings:
- Subjective throbbing rate did not correlate with heart rate, supporting previous findings.
- Increased alpha power (8-12Hz) in EEG correlated with throbbing intensity.
- Rhythmic modulations in alpha power synchronized with the throbbing rhythm, with synchrony proportional to throbbing intensity.
Implications:
- Modulations of alpha power may represent a neurophysiological correlate for the throbbing quality of pain.
- This finding could lead to new diagnostic or therapeutic approaches for throbbing pain conditions.
- Further research is needed to validate these findings in a broader patient population.
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