title: Axonal loss of white matter in migraine without aura: a tract-based spatial statistics study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multiple diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) derived indices may help to deduce the pathophysiological type of white matter (WM) changes and provide more specific biomarkers of WM neuropathology in the whole brain of migraine patients without aura (MWoA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty MWoA and 20 age-, education- and gender-matched healthy volunteers participated in this study. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was employed to investigate the WM abnormalities in MWoA by integrating multiple indices, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with healthy controls, MWoA showed significantly lower FA, MD and AD in multiple brain regions, whereas no difference in RD was observed. Specifically, the overlap among the lower FA, MD, and AD was found in the genu, body, and splenium part of the corpus callosum (CC), the right anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC) and the posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) in MWoA compared with healthy controls. Additionally, some of the above WM findings were significantly correlated with duration and headache frequency in MWoA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given that decreased AD may suggest axonal loss, our findings may reveal axonal loss in MWoA.
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences Research Center, Xidian University, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dahua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Minghao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xuejuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jixin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Guangyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: von Deneen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020326:Migraine without Aura / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult