Modulation of salience network intranetwork resting state functional connectivity in women with chronic migraine

Objective To investigate the intranetwork resting state fMRI connectivity within the Salience Network of chronic migraine with and without medication overuse headache. Methods We compared 351 pairs of intranetwork connectivity in chronic migraine (n = 13) and chronic migraine with medication overuse headache (n = 16) compared to matched controls, and between each chronic migraine subgroup. Results Compared to controls, 17 pairs of intranetwork connections in chronic migraine and 27 pairs in chronic migraine with medication overuse headache were decreased. When comparing chronic migraine with medication overuse headache versus chronic migraine, connectivity between bilateral extended amygdala, and between paracingulate to right ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra were decreased in chronic migraine (chronic migraine < chronic migraine with medication overuse headache). Connectivity between left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to bilateral ventral striatum/pallidum, to bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate cortex; left anterior prefrontal cortex to contralateral orbitofrontal insula; and left ventral striatum/pallidum to ipsilateral supplementary motor area (SMA)/preSMA were decreased in chronic migraine with medication overuse headache (chronic migraine with medication overuse headache < chronic migraine). Conclusion Both chronic migraine subgroups had shared intranetwork connectivity abnormality, however, each subgroup had unique pattern of disruption within the salience network. The results suggest that the aberrant assignment of salience to external and internal stimuli plays an important role in chronic migraine and chronic migraine with medication overuse headache interictally, mostly involving mesolimbic pathways (especially bilateral extended amygdala) in chronic migraine, and prefrontal-subcortical limbic pathways in chronic migraine with medication overuse headache.