EEG microstate responses of migraine patients to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

Previous studies have revealed that migraine patients have unique alterations in their electroencephalography (EEG) microstates; however, no studies have explored the neural responses of migraine patients to therapeutic treatment through EEG microstate analysis. This study applied EEG microstate analysis and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to explore the neural responses of migraine patients to therapeutic treatment.

Fifty-one migraine patients with or without aura were recruited and randomly divided into TENS (patients were stimulated with half of the maximum tolerable current) or sham TENS (patients were stimulated with 1 mA) groups. Patients underwent resting-state EEG examinations. The EEG microstate parameters of four widely recognized microstate classes A-D were calculated and analyzed.

Compared with the activity in the corresponding functional networks of sham TENS group, the brain temporal dynamics depicted by the eyes-closed resting-state microstates of TENS group revealed significantly increased activity in functional networks involving microstate class B (MsB). Moreover, compared with that at baseline, activity in functional networks involving MsB was significantly decreased, and that involving microstate class D (MsD) was increased after sham TENS.

Our study revealed that TENS with 1 mA or half of the maximum tolerable current may alter EEG microstate parameters in migraine patients. This study provides new insights into the treatment-related neural responses of migraine patients and a possible basis for evaluating the factors influencing migraine treatment through the use of EEG microstate analysis in the future.