Altered neurovascular coupling in migraine without aura.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroimaging
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Migraine without aura (MwoA) affects over a billion people globally.
• Neurovascular coupling (NVC), the relationship between neuronal activity and cerebral blood flow (CBF), is a key area for understanding migraine pathophysiology.
• Previous research suggests potential alterations in NVC in migraine patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare NVC and CBF between patients with MwoA and healthy controls.
• To investigate the relationship between NVC, CBF, and clinical symptoms in MwoA.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and arterial spin-labeling (ASL) perfusion imaging were used.
• Calculated CBF and neuronal activity indicators: amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC).
• Assessed global and regional NVCs using cross-voxel correlations and CBF/neuronal activity ratios.

Main Results:

• MwoA patients exhibited altered CBF/neuronal activity ratios in various brain regions, including frontal and cingulate gyri, corpus callosum, and posterior cingulate gyrus.
• Specifically, increased CBF/ALFF, CBF/DC, and CBF/ReHo ratios were noted in specific areas.
• Lower CBF/ALFF ratios were found in other regions, and these ratios correlated with headache and anxiety scores in MwoA patients.

Conclusions:

• Abnormal NVC is implicated in the pathophysiology of MwoA.
• Findings support the theory that dysregulated neurovascular coupling contributes to migraine without aura.
• The study highlights potential imaging biomarkers for MwoA and its associated symptoms.