Migraine as a Cortical Brain Disorder.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology

Background:

• Migraine is a complex neurological disorder.
• Cortical neuron dysfunction is implicated in migraine.
• Clinical, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological data support cortical involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on the cerebral cortex's role in migraine pathophysiology.
• To explore clinical, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological evidence.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of clinical studies.
• Analysis of neuroimaging data.
• Examination of neurophysiological findings.

Main Results:

• Cortical neurons exhibit fluctuating excitability, plasticity, and metabolism.
• Abnormal cortical processing and energy mismatch trigger the trigeminovascular system.
• Cortical dysfunction drives migraine attack initiation and propagation.

Conclusions:

• The cerebral cortex is central to migraine pathophysiology.
• An imbalance in cortical inhibitory/excitatory circuits underlies migraine.
• Cortical changes modulate subcortical structures involved in pain and migraine.