Background and purposeThe thalamus seems to be profoundly involved in the cyclical recurrence of migraine clinical and neurophysiological features. Here possible structural changes in the thalamus of migraineurs were searched for by means of diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This MRI technique provides quantitative data on water molecule motion as a marker of tissue microstructure. MethodsTwenty-four untreated migraine without aura (MO) patients underwent DT-MRI scans (3-T Siemens Gyroscan) during (n=10) and between attacks (n=14) and were compared with a group of 15 healthy volunteers (HVs). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were examined. ResultsDuring the interictal phase MO patients had a significantly higher FA and slightly lower MD values in bilateral thalami compared with HVs. During attacks, all MRI quantitative measurements in migraineurs were similar to those found in HVs. Right thalamic FA was positively correlated with the number of days since the last migraine attack in pooled patient data (r=0.626, P=0.003). ConclusionsThese higher thalamic FA values noted during the interictal period which normalized during an attack are probably related to plastic peri-ictal modifications in regional branching and crossing of fibres. Whether these changes could be considered as the anatomical counterpart of the cyclical functional fluctuations previously observed in the neurophysiology of migraine remains to be determined.

Dynamic changes in thalamic microstructure of migraine without aura patients: a diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging study / Coppola, Gianluca; Tinelli, Emanuele; C., Lepre; Iacovelli, Elisa; DI LORENZO, Cherubino; G., Di Lorenzo; Serrao, Mariano; Pauri, Flavia; Fiermonte, Giancarlo; Bianco, Federico; Pierelli, Francesco. - In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY. - ISSN 1351-5101. - STAMPA. - 21:2(2014), pp. 287-E13. [10.1111/ene.12296]

Dynamic changes in thalamic microstructure of migraine without aura patients: a diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging study

COPPOLA, GIANLUCA;TINELLI, EMANUELE;IACOVELLI, ELISA;DI LORENZO, CHERUBINO;SERRAO, Mariano;PAURI, FLAVIA;FIERMONTE, Giancarlo;BIANCO, Federico;PIERELLI, Francesco
2014

Abstract

Background and purposeThe thalamus seems to be profoundly involved in the cyclical recurrence of migraine clinical and neurophysiological features. Here possible structural changes in the thalamus of migraineurs were searched for by means of diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This MRI technique provides quantitative data on water molecule motion as a marker of tissue microstructure. MethodsTwenty-four untreated migraine without aura (MO) patients underwent DT-MRI scans (3-T Siemens Gyroscan) during (n=10) and between attacks (n=14) and were compared with a group of 15 healthy volunteers (HVs). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were examined. ResultsDuring the interictal phase MO patients had a significantly higher FA and slightly lower MD values in bilateral thalami compared with HVs. During attacks, all MRI quantitative measurements in migraineurs were similar to those found in HVs. Right thalamic FA was positively correlated with the number of days since the last migraine attack in pooled patient data (r=0.626, P=0.003). ConclusionsThese higher thalamic FA values noted during the interictal period which normalized during an attack are probably related to plastic peri-ictal modifications in regional branching and crossing of fibres. Whether these changes could be considered as the anatomical counterpart of the cyclical functional fluctuations previously observed in the neurophysiology of migraine remains to be determined.
2014
diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging; fractional anisotropy; migraine; thalamus
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Dynamic changes in thalamic microstructure of migraine without aura patients: a diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging study / Coppola, Gianluca; Tinelli, Emanuele; C., Lepre; Iacovelli, Elisa; DI LORENZO, Cherubino; G., Di Lorenzo; Serrao, Mariano; Pauri, Flavia; Fiermonte, Giancarlo; Bianco, Federico; Pierelli, Francesco. - In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY. - ISSN 1351-5101. - STAMPA. - 21:2(2014), pp. 287-E13. [10.1111/ene.12296]
File allegati a questo prodotto
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/559049
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 33
  • Scopus 79
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 69
social impact