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Asymmetric cerebral blood flow patterns in migraine
S R Levine1, K M Welch, J R Ewing
1Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48202.
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|December 1, 1987
Summary
Migraine patients show reduced headache-free regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Classic migraineurs exhibit significant rCBF asymmetries, suggesting potential links to neurological dysfunction during attacks.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Cerebrovascular Physiology
Background:
- Asymmetric electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities are known in migraineurs during headache-free periods.
- Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) asymmetries have not been previously investigated in this context.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) asymmetries in migraine patients during headache-free intervals.
- To compare rCBF values and asymmetry indices between migraineurs and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 133Xe inhalation technique to measure rCBF.
- Calculated a novel mean asymmetry index (MAI) to quantify hemispheric and regional differences.
- Compared rCBF and MAI between common migraine, classic/complicated migraine, and control groups.
Main Results:
- Migraineurs exhibited lower headache-free rCBF compared to controls.
- No significant differences in interhemispheric or anterior-posterior rCBF between groups.
- Classic/complicated migraineurs showed a significantly higher MAI than controls, but not common migraineurs.
Conclusions:
- Headache-free migraineurs, particularly those with classic/complicated migraine, display regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) asymmetries.
- These rCBF alterations may be associated with the underlying cause or consequences of focal neurological dysfunction during migraine attacks.