The Functional Network of the Visual Cortex Is Altered in Migraine

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Migraine is a neurological disorder often involving visual disturbances.
• Abnormal neural activity in the visual cortex is suggested in migraine patients.
• Previous studies show altered visual functional connectivity in migraine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the functional network in the visual cortex evoked by visual stimulation using fMRI.
• To investigate the effect of migraine on this visual functional network during interictal periods.
• To explore the impact of colored lenses on visual networks in migraine patients and controls.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study the visual cortex.
• A novel data-driven method was applied to identify functional networks.
• Participants included migraine patients and non-headache healthy controls.

Main Results:

• The distribution of the visual functional network differed between migraine patients and controls.
• The functional network was bilateral in controls but lateralized in migraine patients.
• Colored lenses had different effects on the visual functional network in both groups.

Conclusions:

• Migraine is associated with alterations in the visual cortex functional network between headache episodes.
• Functional network lateralization in the visual cortex is a potential biomarker for migraine.
• Colored lenses may modulate visual network activity in migraine, warranting further investigation.