A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Mapping migraine to a common brain network




AuthorsBurke MJ, Joutsa J, Cohen AL, Soussand L, Cooke D, Burstein R, Fox MD

PublisherOXFORD UNIV PRESS

Publication year2020

JournalBrain

Journal name in sourceBRAIN

Journal acronymBRAIN

Volume143

Issue2

First page 541

Last page553

Number of pages13

ISSN0006-8950

eISSN1460-2156

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awz405

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7009560/


Abstract
Inconsistent findings from migraine neuroimaging studies have limited attempts to localize migraine symptomatology. Novel brain network mapping techniques offer a new approach for linking neuroimaging findings to a common neuroanatomical substrate and localizing therapeutic targets. In this study, we attempted to determine whether neuroanatomically heterogeneous neuroimaging findings of migraine localize to a common brain network. We used meta-analytic coordinates of decreased grey matter volume in migraineurs as seed regions to generate resting state functional connectivity network maps from a normative connectome (n = 1000). Network maps were overlapped to identify common regions of connectivity across all coordinates. Specificity of our findings was evaluated using a whole-brain Bayesian spatial generalized linear mixed model and a region of interest analysis with comparison groups of chronic pain and a neurologic control (Alzheimer's disease). We found that all migraine coordinates (11/11, 100%) were negatively connected (t >= +/- 7, P < 10(-6) family-wise error corrected for multiple comparisons) to a single location in left extrastriate visual cortex overlying dorsal V3 and V3A subregions. More than 90% of coordinates (10/11) were also positively connected with bilateral insula and negatively connected with the hypothalamus. Bayesian spatial generalized linear mixed model whole-brain analysis identified left V3/V3A as the area with the most specific connectivity to migraine coordinates compared to control coordinates (voxel-wise probability of >= 90%). Post hoc region of interest analyses further supported the specificity of this finding (ANOVA P = 0.02; pairwise f-tests P = 0.03 and P = 0.003, respectively). In conclusion, using coordinate-based network mapping, we show that regions of grey matter volume loss in migraineurs localize to a common brain network defined by connectivity to visual cortex V3/V3A, a region previously implicated in mechanisms of cortical spreading depression in migraine. Our findings help unify migraine neuroimaging literature and offer a migraine-specific target for neuromodulatory treatment.



Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 17:47