Quantitative electroencephalography as a potential biomarker in migraine
Suk Jae Kim1, Kyungjin Yang2, Daeyoung Kim3
1Samsung Smart Neurology Clinic, Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) as a diagnostic tool for migraine and as an indicator of treatment response by comparing QEEG characteristics between migraine patients and controls, and monitoring changes in these characteristics alongside clinical symptoms in response to treatment BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that patients with migraine exhibit distinctive characteristics in QEEG measurements, which could be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers and as a tool for monitoring treatment response.
Methods:
A total of 720 patients were included in the study, comprising 619 patients with migraine and 101 subjects as a control group. QEEG measurements were analyzed for absolute power across specific frequency bands: delta wave (0.5-4 Hz), theta wave (4-8 Hz), alpha wave (8-12 Hz), beta wave (12-25 Hz), and high beta wave (25-30 Hz). The absolute power was normalized against a normative dataset from NeuroGuide, with electrodes being highlighted for significance if they exceeded 1.96. Clinical symptoms were also monitored for correlation with QEEG changes.
Results:
Our analysis showed that patients with migraine exhibited significantly higher absolute power across all frequencies, most markedly within the high beta frequency range. When considering electrodes with z-scores exceeding the threshold of 1.96 in the high beta range, a significant association with migraine diagnosis was observed (per 1 electrode increase, OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.01-1.11; p = .012). Moreover, pre- and posttreatment changes in QEEG measurements corresponded with changes in clinical symptoms.
Conclusion:
Patients with migraine have distinctive QEEG measurements, particularly regarding absolute power and the number of electrodes that surpassed the z-score threshold in high beta wave activity. These findings suggest the potential of QEEG as a diagnostic biomarker and as a tool for monitoring treatment response in migraine patients, warranting further large-scale studies for confirmation and expansion.
