White matter and cortical gray matter microstructural abnormalities in new daily persistent headache: a NODDI study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Neurology

Background:

• New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is a rare primary headache with unknown causes.
• Existing neuroimaging studies on NDPH are limited and controversial.
• Traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has limitations in assessing white and gray matter microstructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate white matter and cortical gray matter microstructure in NDPH patients using advanced diffusion models.
• To compare microstructural differences between NDPH patients and healthy controls.
• To explore potential correlations between microstructural changes and clinical characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) in 27 NDPH patients and 28 healthy controls.
• Employed tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and surface-based analysis (SBA) for NODDI metrics (NDI, ODI, ISOVF).
• Conducted Pearson's correlation analysis between NODDI metrics and clinical data.

Main Results:

• NDPH patients exhibited reduced density and complexity in key white matter tracts, including IFOF, SLF, ILF, and CST.
• Lowered neurite density was observed in specific cortical regions: left frontal cortex, left precentral cortex, and right orbitofrontal cortex/insula.
• No significant correlation was found between NODDI metrics and clinical variables post-Bonferroni correction.

Conclusions:

• Neurite loss is a key finding in both white and gray matter of individuals with NDPH.
• Advanced diffusion imaging (NODDI) provides valuable insights into NDPH neuropathology.
• These findings contribute to understanding the underlying mechanisms of NDPH.