title: Abnormal thalamic function in patients with vestibular migraine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the functional response of neural pathways associated with vestibular stimulation in patients with vestibular migraine (VM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with VM underwent whole-brain blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI during ear irrigation with cold water. The functional response of neural pathways to this stimulation in patients with VM was compared with age- and sex-matched patients with migraine without aura and healthy controls. Secondary analyses explored associations between BOLD signal change and clinical features of migraine in patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a robust cortical and subcortical pattern of BOLD signal change in response to ear irrigation across all participants. Patients with VM showed a significantly increased thalamic activation in comparison with both patients with migraine without aura and healthy controls. The magnitude of thalamic activation was positively correlated with the frequency of migraine attacks in patients with VM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provide novel evidence for abnormal thalamic functional response to vestibular stimulation in patients with VM. These functional abnormalities in central vestibular processing may contribute to VM pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marcelli
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Corvino
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marcuccio
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannone
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Conforti
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marciano
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands. gioacchino.tedeschi@unina2.it alessandro.tessitore@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Gioacchino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences (A.R., L.M., G.T., A.T.) and MRI Research Center SUN-FISM (A.R., R.C., G.T., A.T.), Second University of Naples; Institute for Diagnosis and Care Hermitage Capodimonte (A.R.), Naples; Department of Neuroscience (V.M., V.C., A.G., E.M.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples; Department of Medicine and Surgery (F.E.), University of Salerno, Baronissi (SA), Italy; and Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (F.E.), Maastricht University, the Netherlands. gioacchino.tedeschi@unina2.it alessandro.tessitore@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tessitore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020326:Migraine without Aura / Q000503:physiopathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013788:Thalamus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000503:physiopathology*