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Observational Study
. 2020 Apr 25;21(1):39.
doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-01109-2.

Brain morphologic abnormalities in migraine patients: an observational study

Lilla Bonanno  1 , Viviana Lo Buono  2 , Simona De Salvo  1 , Claudio Ruvolo  1 , Viviana Torre  1 , Placido Bramanti  1 , Silvia Marino  1 , Francesco Corallo  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

Brain morphologic abnormalities in migraine patients: an observational study

Lilla Bonanno et al. J Headache Pain. .

Abstract

Background: Migraine is a common neurological disorder characterized by a complex physiopathology. We assessed brain morphologic differences in migraine and the possible pathogenetic mechanism underlying this disease.

Methods: We analyzed brain morphologic images of migraine patients, 14 with aura (MwA) [the mean (SD) age was 42.36 (2.95) years (range, 37-47)] and 14 without aura (MwoA) [the mean (SD) age was 43.5 (3.25) years (range, 39-50)] during episodic attack compared with health subjects balanced (HS) [the mean (SD) age was 42.5 (5.17) years (range, 34-51)]. All subjects underwent a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination with a scanner operating at 3.0 T and voxel based morphometry (VBM) approach was used to examine the gray matter volume (GMV). The statistical analysis to compare clinicl characteristics was performed using unpaired t-test an one-way Anova.

Results: Total cerebral GMV showed a significant difference between MwA and HS (p = 0.02), and between MwoA and HS (p = 0.003). In addition, not significative differences were found between MwA and MwoA groups (p = 0.17). We found three clusters of regions which showed significant GMV reduction in MwA compared with MwoA. MwA subjects showed a less of GMV in 4 clusters if compared with HS, and MwoA subjects showed a less of GMV in 3 clusters if compared with HS. We observed that MwA and MwoA patients had a significant reduction of GMV in the frontal and temporal lobe and the cerebellum, if compared to HS. The bilateral fusiform gyrus and the cingulate gyrus were increase in MwoA patients compared with HS.

Conclusion: Our findings could provide a approach to understand possible differences in the pathogenesis of two type of migraine.

Keywords: Aura; Magnetic resonance imaging; Migraine; No Aura; Voxel-based Morphometry.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Gray matter volume (GMV) changes. A) GMV of migraine with aura compared with migraine without aura. B) GMV of migraine with aura compared with health control. C) GMV of migraine without aura compared with health control. Statistical parametric maps show gray matter volume alterations with a threshold of P < 0.001 uncorrected superimposed on a standard T1 image. The color bar reflects t values (red/yellow = increased volume, blue = decreased volume). MwA = Migraine with Aura; MwoA = Migraine without Aura; HS = Heath Subjects
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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