Association between brain resting-state functional activities and migraine: a bidirectional mendelian randomization...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Medical Research

Background:

• Migraine is a common neurological disorder with complex pathophysiology.
• The relationship between brain resting-state functional activities (RSFA) and migraine risk is not fully understood.
• Investigating causal links between RSFA and migraine is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal association between migraine and RSFA using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.
• To identify specific brain networks and activities that may causally influence migraine susceptibility.
• To provide genetic evidence supporting the role of certain brain functions in migraine.

Main Methods:

• A bidirectional two-sample MR study was conducted.
• Summary statistics from genome-wide association studies for 191 resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging phenotypes were utilized.
• Various analytical methods including inverse variance weighted, weighted median, MR Egger, and constrained maximum likelihood were employed, alongside pleiotropy and heterogeneity analyses.

Main Results:

• Functional connectivity between the default mode and central executive network showed a causal effect on migraine risk (OR = 1.39).
• The intensity of spontaneous brain activity in the calcarine/lingual gyrus within the visual network also causally affected migraine risk (OR = 0.74).
• FDR corrected p-values indicated statistical significance for both findings.

Conclusions:

• The study provides genetic evidence for a causal relationship between specific RSFA patterns and migraine.
• Altered functional connectivity and spontaneous brain activity in certain networks are implicated as risk factors for migraine.
• These findings highlight the potential role of the default mode, central executive, and visual networks in migraine pathophysiology.