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. 2020 Sep 14;21(1):111.
doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-01176-5.

Impaired effective functional connectivity of the sensorimotor network in interictal episodic migraineurs without aura

Heng-Le Wei  1 , Jing Chen  2 , Yu-Chen Chen  3 , Yu-Sheng Yu  1 , Xi Guo  1 , Gang-Ping Zhou  1 , Qing-Qing Zhou  1 , Zhen-Zhen He  1 , Lian Yang  1 , Xindao Yin  3 , Junrong Li  4 , Hong Zhang  5
Affiliations

Impaired effective functional connectivity of the sensorimotor network in interictal episodic migraineurs without aura

Heng-Le Wei et al. J Headache Pain. .

Abstract

Background: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) has confirmed sensorimotor network (SMN) dysfunction in migraine without aura (MwoA). However, the underlying mechanisms of SMN effective functional connectivity in MwoA remain unclear. We aimed to explore the association between clinical characteristics and effective functional connectivity in SMN, in interictal patients who have MwoA.

Methods: We used Rs-fMRI to acquire imaging data in 40 episodic patients with MwoA in the interictal phase and 34 healthy controls (HCs). Independent component analysis was used to profile the distribution of SMN and calculate the different SMN activity between the two groups. Subsequently, Granger causality analysis was used to analyze the effective functional connectivity between the SMN and other brain regions.

Results: Compared to the HCs, MwoA patients showed higher activity in the bilateral postcentral gyri (PoCG), but lower activity in the left midcingulate cortex (MCC). Moreover, MwoA patients showed decreased effective functional connectivity from the SMN to left middle temporal gyrus, right putamen, left insula and bilateral precuneus, but increased effective functional connectivity to the right paracentral lobule. There was also significant effective functional connectivity from the primary visual cortex, right cuneus and right putamen to the SMN. In the interictal period, there was positive correlation between the activity of the right PoCG and the frequency of headache. The disease duration was positively correlated with abnormal effective functional connectivity from the left PoCG to right precuneus. In addition, the headache impact scores were negatively correlated with abnormal effective functional connectivity from the left MCC to right paracentral lobule, as well as from the right precuneus to left PoCG.

Conclusions: These differential, resting-state functional activities of the SMN in episodic MwoA may contribute to the understanding of migraine-related intra- and internetwork imbalances associated with nociceptive regulation and chronification.

Keywords: Effective functional connectivity; Magnetic resonance imaging; Migraine; Sensorimotor network.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Group-level sensorimotor network in migraineurs without aura (MwoA) and healthy controls (HCs). Significant thresholds were corrected by family-wise error correction (p < 0.001)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Altered effective connectivity from the SMN to other regions (First row) and from the other brain regions to SMN (Second row) in migraineurs without aura compared with healthy controls. Thresholds were set at a p < 0.001 (uncorrected). INS: insula; MCC: midcingulate cortex; MTG: middle temporal gyrus; PCL: paracentral lobule; PCUN: precuneus; PoCG: postcentral gyrus; PUT: putamen; SMN: sensorimotor network; L: left; R: right
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Significant correlations between clinical characteristics and abnormal connectivity in migraineurs without aura. HIT: headache impact test; ICA: independent component analysis; MCC: midcingulate cortex; PCL: paracentral lobule; PCUN: precuneus; PoCG: postcentral gyrus; L: left; R: right
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