Brainstem functional oscillations across the migraine cycle: A longitudinal investigation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Neurology

Background:

• Migraine mechanisms are not fully understood.
• Brain function alterations precede migraine onset.
• Altered brainstem activity may trigger migraines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate brainstem function oscillations during the migraine cycle.
• To determine if individual migraineurs exhibit predictable brainstem changes.
• To link pre-migraine brain activity to migraine neurobiology.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
• Daily scans over four weeks in migraineurs and controls.
• Analysis of brainstem activity variability and regional homogeneity.

Main Results:

• Brainstem activity variability significantly increased in migraineurs 24 hours before a migraine.
• Increased variability occurred in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and dorsal pons.
• Infra-slow frequency power (0.03–0.06 Hz) and regional homogeneity increased pre-migraine.

Conclusions:

• Within-individual brain activity alterations precede migraine onset.
• Altered brainstem function is implicated in migraine neurobiology.
• The findings support a role for the brainstem in migraine initiation.