Lingling Dai1,2, Yang Yu1,2, Hongru Zhao3, Xiaodong Zhang4, Yunyan Su1,2, Ximing Wang1,2, Su Hu1,2, Hui Dai1,2, Chunhong Hu1,2, Jun Ke5,6. 1. Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, China. 2. Institute of Medical Imaging, Soochow University, Soochow, China. 3. Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, China. 4. Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China. 5. Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, China. fmrikej@126.com. 6. Institute of Medical Imaging, Soochow University, Soochow, China. fmrikej@126.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Previous studies have indicated disrupted functional connectivity in multiple brain regions and resting-state networks in episodic migraine, but it is unclear how brain network property is disrupted in chronic migraine. METHODS: Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-wise functional connectivity density analysis, we examined the large-scale functional connectivity pattern over the whole brain in 17 patients with chronic migraine without medication overuse compared to 35 healthy controls. The associations between functional connectivity density and clinical variables were also explored. RESULTS: Compared with controls, chronic migraine patients showed decreased local and distant functional connectivity density in the dorsolateral and medial prefrontal cortexes and precuneus and increased local and distant functional connectivity density in the hippocampal complex. The patients also presented increased local functional connectivity density in the orbital frontal gyrus and cerebellum and increased distant functional connectivity density in the temporal pole. Moreover, local functional connectivity density in several brain regions, such as the left superior temporal gyrus and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, was found to be correlated with headache frequency or pain intensity. CONCLUSION: Chronic migraine is associated with functional connectivity alterations in regions involved in multisensory integration, affective and cognitive processing, and pain modulation. Both local and distant functional connectivity density are complementary biomarkers for investigating the neural mechanism of this disorder. Some local functional connectivity density alterations may be useful for assessing the disease burden of chronic migraine.
PURPOSE: Previous studies have indicated disrupted functional connectivity in multiple brain regions and resting-state networks in episodic migraine, but it is unclear how brain network property is disrupted in chronic migraine. METHODS: Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-wise functional connectivity density analysis, we examined the large-scale functional connectivity pattern over the whole brain in 17 patients with chronic migraine without medication overuse compared to 35 healthy controls. The associations between functional connectivity density and clinical variables were also explored. RESULTS: Compared with controls, chronic migrainepatients showed decreased local and distant functional connectivity density in the dorsolateral and medial prefrontal cortexes and precuneus and increased local and distant functional connectivity density in the hippocampal complex. The patients also presented increased local functional connectivity density in the orbital frontal gyrus and cerebellum and increased distant functional connectivity density in the temporal pole. Moreover, local functional connectivity density in several brain regions, such as the left superior temporal gyrus and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, was found to be correlated with headache frequency or pain intensity. CONCLUSION: Chronic migraine is associated with functional connectivity alterations in regions involved in multisensory integration, affective and cognitive processing, and pain modulation. Both local and distant functional connectivity density are complementary biomarkers for investigating the neural mechanism of this disorder. Some local functional connectivity density alterations may be useful for assessing the disease burden of chronic migraine.
Entities:
Keywords:
Functional connectivity density; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Migraine; Resting state