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Updated: Jun 10, 2025
High-resolution In Vivo Manual Segmentation Protocol for Human Hippocampal Subfields Using 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: November 10, 2015
Subsegmentation of the hippocampus in subgroups of migraine with aura patients: advanced structural neuroimaging
Igor Petrušić1, Mojsije Radović2,3, Marko Daković2
1Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, 12-16 Studentski Trg Street, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia. ip7med@yahoo.com.
Background:
This study investigated for a possible contributing role of hippocampus in the different clinical phenotypic manifestations of migraine aura.
Methods:
Herein, patients were categorized as those with pure visual aura (MwAv), those who reported additional somatosensory and dysphasic symptoms (MwAvsd), and healthy controls (HCs). Neuroimaging data obtained using FreeSurfer-based segmentation of hippocampal subfields were compared between HCs and patients with migraine with aura, as well as between HCs and those with MwAv and MwAvsd. The average migraine aura complexity score (MACS) was calculated for each patient to investigate the correlation between hippocampal subfield volume and migraine aura complexity.
Results:
Herein, 46 patients with migraine with aura (28 MwAvsd and 18 MwAv) and 31 HCs were included. There were no significant differences in the hippocampal subfields between HCs and patients with migraine with aura. The average MACS negatively correlated with the volumes of the left and right hippocampi, Cornu Ammonis (CA) 1, CA3, CA4, molecular layer, left granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, hippocampal fissure, and hippocampus-amygdala transition area. The MwAvsd subgroup had significantly smaller whole hippocampal volumes in both hemispheres, as well as in both subicula, compared with the MwAv subgroup and HCs. In addition, the left molecular layer, right CA1, and hippocampal fissures were significantly smaller in the MwAvsd group than in the MwAv subgroup and HCs.
Conclusions:
Smaller left and right hippocampal volumes, particularly of the subiculum/CA1 area, may play an important role in the pathophysiology of somatosensory and dysphasic symptoms in migraine with aura.
Insights
Smaller hippocampal volumes are linked to complex migraine aura symptoms. Specifically, reduced hippocampus and subiculum/CA1 areas may contribute to somatosensory and dysphasic symptoms in migraine with aura patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Migraine aura presents with diverse clinical symptoms.
- The hippocampus's role in these varied manifestations remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hippocampus's contribution to different migraine aura phenotypes.
- To correlate hippocampal subfield volumes with migraine aura complexity.
Main Methods:
- Categorized patients into pure visual aura (MwAv) and additional somatosensory/dysphasic symptoms (MwAvsd) groups, plus healthy controls (HCs).
- Utilized FreeSurfer for neuroimaging analysis of hippocampal subfields.
- Calculated migraine aura complexity score (MACS) to assess correlations.
Main Results:
- No overall hippocampal differences between migraine with aura patients and HCs.
- MACS negatively correlated with multiple hippocampal subfield volumes.
- MwAvsd subgroup showed significantly smaller whole hippocampal volumes and subiculum/CA1 areas compared to MwAv and HCs.
Conclusions:
- Reduced hippocampal volumes, especially the subiculum/CA1 region, are implicated in the pathophysiology of somatosensory and dysphasic migraine aura symptoms.
- These findings highlight specific hippocampal alterations associated with complex migraine aura phenotypes.
