Atypical Interactions of Cortical Networks in Chronic Migraine
The severity of headache is associated with opposite connectivity patterns in frontal executive and dorsal attentional networks in patients with chronic migraine, a new study found. Twenty patients with chronic migraine (CM) without preventive therapy, or acute medication overuse underwent 3T MRI scans and were compared to a group of 20 healthy controls (HC). Researchers used MRI to collect resting-state data in 3 selected networks, identified using group independent component analysis (ICA): the default mode network (DMN), the executive control network (ECN), and the dorsal attention system (DAS). They found:
- Compared to HC, patients with CM had significantly reduced functional connectivity between the DMN and the ECN.
- The DAS showed significantly stronger functional connectivity (FC) with the DMN and weaker FC with the ECN.
- The higher the severity of the headache, the increased strength of DAD connectivity, and the lower the strength of the ECN connectivity.
Coppola G, et al. Aberrant interactions of cortical networks in chronic migraine: A resting-state fMRI study. [Published online ahead of print May 28, 2019]. Neurology. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000007577.