Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle
© 2019 Marciszewski et al. The neural mechanisms responsible for the initiation and expression of migraines remain unknown. Although there is growing evidence of changes in brainstem anatomy and function between attacks, very little is known about brainstem function and structure in the period immed...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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SOC NEUROSCIENCE
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79556 |
| _version_ | 1848764072912224256 |
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| author | Marciszewski, K.K. Meylakh, N. Di Pietro, Flavia Macefield, V.G. Macey, P.M. Henderson, L.A. |
| author_facet | Marciszewski, K.K. Meylakh, N. Di Pietro, Flavia Macefield, V.G. Macey, P.M. Henderson, L.A. |
| author_sort | Marciszewski, K.K. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | © 2019 Marciszewski et al. The neural mechanisms responsible for the initiation and expression of migraines remain unknown. Although there is growing evidence of changes in brainstem anatomy and function between attacks, very little is known about brainstem function and structure in the period immediately prior to a migraine. The aim of this investigation is to use brainstem-specific analyses of diffusion weighted images to determine whether the brainstem pain processing regions display altered structure in individuals with migraine across the migraine cycle, and in particular immediately prior to a migraine. Diffusion tensor images (29 controls, 36 migraineurs) were used to assess brainstem anatomy in migraineurs compared with controls. We found that during the interictal phase, migraineurs displayed greater mean diffusivity (MD) in the region of the spinal trigeminal nucleus (SpV), dorsomedial pons (dmPons)/dorsolateral pons (dlPons), and midbrain periaqueductal gray matter (PAG)/cuneiform nucleus (CNF). Remarkably, the MD returned to controls levels during the 24-h period immediately prior to a migraine, only to increase again within the three following days. Additionally, fractional anisotropy (FA) was significantly elevated in the region of the medial lemniscus/ventral trigeminal thalamic tract in migraineurs compared with controls over the entire migraine cycle. These data show that regional brainstem anatomy changes over the migraine cycle, with specific anatomical changes occurring in the 24-h period prior to onset. These changes may contribute to the activation of the ascending trigeminal pathway by either an increase in basal traffic or by sensitizing the trigeminal nuclei to external triggers, with activation ultimately resulting in perception of head pain during a migraine attack. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:13:33Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-79556 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:13:33Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | SOC NEUROSCIENCE |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-795562021-01-08T07:54:27Z Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle Marciszewski, K.K. Meylakh, N. Di Pietro, Flavia Macefield, V.G. Macey, P.M. Henderson, L.A. Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Neurosciences Neurosciences & Neurology SENSORY INNERVATION CENTRAL PROJECTIONS PAIN RAT ACTIVATION MRI CONNECTIVITY MECHANISMS MENINGEAL © 2019 Marciszewski et al. The neural mechanisms responsible for the initiation and expression of migraines remain unknown. Although there is growing evidence of changes in brainstem anatomy and function between attacks, very little is known about brainstem function and structure in the period immediately prior to a migraine. The aim of this investigation is to use brainstem-specific analyses of diffusion weighted images to determine whether the brainstem pain processing regions display altered structure in individuals with migraine across the migraine cycle, and in particular immediately prior to a migraine. Diffusion tensor images (29 controls, 36 migraineurs) were used to assess brainstem anatomy in migraineurs compared with controls. We found that during the interictal phase, migraineurs displayed greater mean diffusivity (MD) in the region of the spinal trigeminal nucleus (SpV), dorsomedial pons (dmPons)/dorsolateral pons (dlPons), and midbrain periaqueductal gray matter (PAG)/cuneiform nucleus (CNF). Remarkably, the MD returned to controls levels during the 24-h period immediately prior to a migraine, only to increase again within the three following days. Additionally, fractional anisotropy (FA) was significantly elevated in the region of the medial lemniscus/ventral trigeminal thalamic tract in migraineurs compared with controls over the entire migraine cycle. These data show that regional brainstem anatomy changes over the migraine cycle, with specific anatomical changes occurring in the 24-h period prior to onset. These changes may contribute to the activation of the ascending trigeminal pathway by either an increase in basal traffic or by sensitizing the trigeminal nuclei to external triggers, with activation ultimately resulting in perception of head pain during a migraine attack. 2019 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79556 10.1523/ENEURO.0005-19.2019 English http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ SOC NEUROSCIENCE fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Neurosciences Neurosciences & Neurology SENSORY INNERVATION CENTRAL PROJECTIONS PAIN RAT ACTIVATION MRI CONNECTIVITY MECHANISMS MENINGEAL Marciszewski, K.K. Meylakh, N. Di Pietro, Flavia Macefield, V.G. Macey, P.M. Henderson, L.A. Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle |
| title | Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle |
| title_full | Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle |
| title_fullStr | Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle |
| title_short | Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle |
| title_sort | fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle |
| topic | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Neurosciences Neurosciences & Neurology SENSORY INNERVATION CENTRAL PROJECTIONS PAIN RAT ACTIVATION MRI CONNECTIVITY MECHANISMS MENINGEAL |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79556 |