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Abnormal Functional Network Centrality and Causal Connectivity in Migraine Without Aura: A Resting-State fMRI Study
Di Zhang1, Liyan Lu1, Xiaobin Huang1
1Department of Radiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
Objective:
The pathophysiological mechanism of migraine is still not clear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in effective connectivity (EC) in the brain functional network underlying migraine and its association with clinical measures of migraine.
Background:
Fifty patients with episodic migraine without aura (MwoA) and 48 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. Spontaneous activity in the brain was evaluated using the degree centrality (DC) method, and the brain regions with obvious signal differences between the two groups were taken as seed points for whole brain Granger causality analysis (GCA) analysis. The values of the brain regions with differences in DC and GCA were extracted and correlated with clinical measures of migraine.
Results:
Compared to the HCs, the MwoA patients showed decreased DC in the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) and increased DC in the right precuneus and exhibited significantly decreased EC from the left ITG to the left inferior parietal gyrus and right inferior occipital gyrus (IOG) as well as significantly increased EC from the left postcentral gyrus and left cerebellum posterior lobe to the left ITG. Moreover, decreased EC from the left thalamus to the right precuneus was found in the MwoA patients compared to the HCs. The DC values in the right precuneus were significantly negatively correlated with the duration of headache. Additionally, we found a significantly positive correlation between the Migraine Disability Assessment questionnaire score and the EC from the left ITG to the right IOG, as well as between the intensity of headache and the EC from the left thalamus to the right precuneus.
Conclusions:
This study found changes in the EC of the brain functional network underlying migraine and their associations with migraine-related parameters. These findings are helpful for understanding the pathophysiological mechanism in migraine patients.
Insights
Migraine patients exhibit altered brain functional network connectivity. These changes in effective connectivity (EC) are linked to headache duration and disability, offering insights into migraine pathophysiology.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Brain Functional Connectivity
Background:
- Migraine pathophysiology remains unclear.
- Episodic migraine without aura (MwoA) patients and healthy controls (HCs) were studied.
- Brain's spontaneous activity was assessed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in effective connectivity (EC) in migraine.
- To associate EC alterations with clinical migraine measures.
Main Methods:
- Degree centrality (DC) and Granger causality analysis (GCA) were used.
- Brain regions with signal differences between MwoA and HCs were identified.
- EC values were correlated with clinical data.
Main Results:
- MwoA patients showed altered DC in the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) and right precuneus.
- Significant differences in EC were observed between MwoA patients and HCs.
- Right precuneus DC negatively correlated with headache duration; ITG-IOG EC positively correlated with disability.
Conclusions:
- Migraine is associated with altered brain functional network EC.
- These EC changes correlate with clinical parameters like headache duration and disability.
- Findings contribute to understanding migraine's underlying mechanisms.
