The altered functional status in vestibular migraine: A meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Vestibular migraine (VM) is a leading neurological cause of episodic vertigo, characterized by prominent vestibular symptoms linked to migraine.
• The precise functional brain alterations in VM patients remain largely undetermined.
• Understanding these functional underpinnings is crucial for diagnosing and managing VM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify consistent patterns of altered functional connectivity (FC) in the brains of individuals with VM.
• To elucidate the neurobiological basis of VM through a comprehensive meta-analysis.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus) for studies on resting-state FC abnormalities in VM.
• Anisotropic Effect Size-Signed Differential Mapping (AES-SDM) was employed for a whole-brain, voxel-wise meta-analysis.
• Nine studies involving 251 VM patients and 257 healthy controls were analyzed.

Main Results:

• VM patients exhibited reduced activity in the left superior temporal gyrus and left midcingulate/paracingulate gyri compared to controls.
• Increased activity was observed in the precuneus, right superior parietal gyrus, and right middle frontal gyrus in VM patients.
• Meta-regression revealed correlations between symptom severity (Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Headache Impact Test-6) and activity in specific brain regions.

Conclusions:

• Vestibular migraine is associated with functional brain deficits in key regions of the vestibular and pain networks.
• These findings offer insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms driving VM.
• The study highlights specific brain regions and connectivity patterns relevant to VM.