Resting-state fMRI reveals brain functional alterations linked to balance disorders in vestibular migraine patients

In subjects with Vestibular Migraine (VM), a high Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores is commonly observed, often reflecting severe impairment in balance. This investigation aims to evaluate the abnormalities in DHI scores and to explore the associations between alterations in brain function and balance disorders in individuals suffering from VM. Fifty-four subjects with VM and 49 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Differences in whole-brain ReHo and seed-based functional connectivity were assessed. Pearson's correlation was utilized to examine the associations between regions showing significant group disparities and DHI scores. The subjects with VM had higher scores in DHI (mean 49.78 ± 20.07). Compared to the HCs, subjects with VM exhibited significantly decreased ReHo values in the frontal orbital gyrus (FOG), and increased middle cingulate cortex (MCC), and the ReHo in MCC value was significantly negatively correlated with DHI_F scores in the VM group. Additionally, VM exhibited abnormalities in FC between the MCC and precuneus (PreCu). Our findings indicate that subjects with VM frequently experience balance disturbances, which may be attributed to alterations in brain function. These insights provide valuable evidence for the development of physical therapy interventions for VM.