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Structural brain MRI abnormalities in pediatric patients with migraine
Maria A Rocca1, Roberta Messina, Bruno Colombo
1Division of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
Journal of Neurology
|December 6, 2013
Summary
Pediatric migraine patients show gray matter (GM) atrophy in pain-processing areas and altered putamen volume. These early brain changes may indicate a unique migraine biomarker.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Pediatric Neurology
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Adult migraine studies reveal gray matter (GM) atrophy in pain-processing regions.
- Pediatric migraine's neurobiological underpinnings, particularly GM and white matter (WM) changes, require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate regional GM and WM volumetric differences in pediatric episodic migraine patients.
- To correlate these brain morphometric changes with clinical disease manifestations.
Main Methods:
- Acquired 3.0 Tesla MRI scans (T2-weighted and 3D T1-weighted) from 12 pediatric migraine patients and 15 healthy controls.
- Utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to assess GM and WM volume differences (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected).
Main Results:
- Pediatric migraine patients exhibited significant GM atrophy in frontal and temporal pain-processing regions.
- Increased right putamen volume was observed in patients; this correlated negatively with disease duration.
- The left fusiform gyrus showed varied volume changes based on migraine aura status.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric migraine is associated with GM morphometric abnormalities, particularly in pain-processing networks.
- These early-onset abnormalities, independent of clinical characteristics, may serve as a phenotypic biomarker for pediatric migraine.
