Functional neuroimaging of headaches.
Functional neuroimaging, mainly PET and functional MRI, is the main tool that allows the capturing of neurovascular events during a headache attack. In migraine, functional imaging has clarified the underlying pathophysiology of the visual aura, whereas in migraine without aura, brainstem findings suggest a dysfunctional pain system. In cluster headache, the activation and morphological changes seen in a region posterior and inferior to the hypothalamus has provided a useful therapeutic target using deep-brain stimulation. We will discuss the main neuroimaging findings pertaining to the pathophysiology of these two common headache disorders, migraine and cluster headache.
Department of Neurology, Hospital Ruber Internacional, Madrid, Spain. msanchezdelrio@ruberinternacional.es <msanchezdelrio@ruberinternacional.es>
Margarita
M
Sánchez del Rio
Juan
J
Alvarez Linera
D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*