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Updated: Feb 8, 2026
10:39
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
18.8K
Gray matter volume modifications in migraine: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study
Roberta Messina1, Maria A Rocca1, Bruno Colombo1
1From the Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience (R.M., M.A.R., E.P., M.F.) and Departments of Neurology (R.M., M.A.R., B.C., M.F.) and Neuroradiology (A.F.), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; and NIHR-Wellcome Trust King's Clinical Research Facility (P.J.G.), King's College London, UK.
Neurology
|June 22, 2018
Summary
Migraine patients show dynamic brain gray matter changes over time, with altered volumes in specific brain regions linked to disease severity and pain. These findings suggest complex pathophysiologic mechanisms in migraine progression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Brain Anatomy
Background:
- Migraine is a complex neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headaches.
- Understanding brain structural changes in migraine is crucial for developing targeted therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal gray matter (GM) volume changes in migraine patients.
- To associate these GM volume alterations with clinical characteristics and disease activity.
Main Methods:
- Acquisition of brain MRI scans (T2-weighted and 3D T1-weighted) from episodic migraineurs and controls.
- Utilized general linear models and SPM12 for whole-brain analysis of GM volume modifications.
- Follow-up scans were obtained after a mean of 4 years for a subset of participants.
Main Results:
- Migraineurs exhibited lower cerebellar GM volume and higher frontotemporal lobe volumes at baseline compared to controls.
- Longitudinal analysis revealed increased frontotemporoparietal GM volume in migraineurs, correlated with disease duration and attack frequency.
- Decreased GM volume in visual areas was linked to pain severity, while changes in nociceptive regions varied with attack frequency.
Conclusions:
- Migraine involves dynamic, time-dependent brain GM volume changes.
- Distinct pathophysiologic mechanisms, influenced by disease severity, contribute to these observed structural alterations.
- The interplay between genetic predisposition and experience-dependent brain changes may explain varied longitudinal GM volume patterns.
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