title: Quantitative MRI studies of chronic brain white matter hyperintensities in migraine patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine chronic brain white matter hyperintensities in migraine and to gain data on the characteristics of the lesions.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Migraine associates with a higher incidence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible white matter signal abnormalities. Several attack-related pathomechanisms have been proposed in the lesion development, including the effect of repeated intracerebral hemodynamic changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Supratentorial white matter hyperintensities of 17 migraine patients were investigated interictally with quantitative MRI, including quantitative single voxel spectroscopy, diffusion, and perfusion MRI at 3.0-Tesla. The findings were compared with data measured in the contralateral, normal-appearing white matter of migraineurs and in the white matter of 17 healthy subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher apparent diffusion coefficient values, prolonged T2 relaxation times, and decreased N-acetyl-aspartate and creatine/phosphocreatine concentrations were found in the white matter hyperintensities. The cerebral blood flow and blood volume values were mildly decreased inside the hyperintensities. Differences were not present between the migraine patients' normal-appearing white matter and the white matter of healthy subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MRI measurements denote tissue damage with axonal loss, low glial cell density, and an enlarged extracellular space with an increased extracellular water fraction. These radiological features might be the consequences of microvascular ischemic changes during migraine attacks.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Center of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Mihály
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aradi
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarcz
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perlaki
authors.forename: Gergely
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orsi
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trauninger
authors.forename: David Olayinka
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Kamson
authors.forename: Szilvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erdélyi-Bótor
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Szilvia Anett
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dóczi
authors.forename: Sámuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komoly
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pfund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult