Migraine and brain structure in the elderly: The Rotterdam Study.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Migraine is potentially linked to structural brain changes, but evidence is inconsistent.
• Large-scale population-based data on migraine and brain structure are limited.
• This study investigated migraine's association with brain changes in middle-aged and elderly individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between migraine and structural brain changes.
• To assess cerebral small vessel disease and brain atrophy markers in migraineurs.
• To provide population-based evidence on migraine and brain health.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the population-based Rotterdam Study (4920 participants).
• Assessed migraine history via questionnaire and brain structure via MRI.
• Employed regression models to analyze associations with brain volumes and small vessel disease markers, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• Migraine prevalence was 15.3% in the study population.
• No significant differences were found in total brain volume, grey matter, or white matter volumes between migraineurs and non-migraineurs.
• Migraine was not associated with increased white matter hyperintensity volume, lacunes, or cerebral microbleeds.

Conclusions:

• Middle-aged and elderly individuals with migraine did not exhibit a higher likelihood of structural brain changes on MRI.
• Findings suggest no increased risk of cerebral small vessel disease or atrophy in this population.
• This large study provides robust evidence against a link between migraine and structural brain abnormalities.