Evidence for Plastic Processes in Migraine with Aura: A Diffusion Weighted MRI Study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Previous studies indicated white matter abnormalities in mixed migraine groups.
• This research focuses on white matter changes in a specific subgroup: migraineurs with aura.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate white matter alterations in migraine with aura (MwA) patients.
• To identify relationships between white matter changes and clinical factors in MwA.
• To compare white matter integrity between MwA, migraine without aura (MwoA), and control groups.

Main Methods:

• MRI scans were performed on 18 MwA patients, 25 MwoA patients, and 28 controls using a 1.5T scanner.
• Whole-brain tract-based spatial statistics were employed to analyze white matter diffusivity parameters.
• Comparisons were made between the MwA, MwoA, and control groups.

Main Results:

• MwA patients exhibited decreased radial diffusivity in parieto-occipital, corpus callosum, and cingular white matter compared to controls.
• No significant white matter alterations were observed in MwoA patients relative to controls.
• MwA patients showed increased fractional anisotropy in the left parieto-occipital white matter compared to MwoA patients.
• Negative correlations were found in MwA between axial diffusivity and disease duration/attack frequency in specific white matter tracts.

Conclusions:

• This study reveals, for the first time, distinct white matter microstructural differences between MwA and MwoA subgroups.
• Separate analysis of migraine subtypes is crucial for future research.
• The observed diffusion profile suggests a coexistence of degenerative and maladaptive plastic changes in migraine.