title: Concurrent functional and structural cortical alterations in migraine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various animal and human studies have contributed to the idea of cortical structural-functional alterations in migraine. Defining concurrent cortical alterations may provide specific insights into the unfolding adaptive or maladaptive changes taking place in cortex in migraine.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a group of 60 episodic migraineurs, 20 were recruited to the study. Using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, structural and functional cortical measures were compared in migraineurs who experienced increased frequency of attacks (HF; 8-14 days/month; n = 10), to those who experienced less frequent migraine attacks (LF; < 2 days/month; n = 10), and to healthy controls (HC; n = 20).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parallel structural and functional differences were found as follows: (i) HF patients showed higher thickness in the area representing the face in the post-central gyrus, which correlated with the observed stronger functional activation, suggesting adaptation to repeated sensory drive; (ii) smaller cortical volume was observed in the cingulate cortex that correlated with lower activation in the HF group; and (iii) similarly significant structural and functional differences (HF > LF) were observed in the insula that may reflect potential alteration in affective processing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest differential response patterns in the sensory vs. affective processing regions in the brain that may be an adaptive response to repeated migraine attacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Nasim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maleki
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Becerra
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brawn
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bigal
authors.forename: Rami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burstein
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borsook
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods