Brain function state in different phases and its relationship with clinical symptoms of migraine: an fMRI study based on regional homogeneity (ReHo)

BACKGROUND: Using fMRI to analysis of brain function state in migraineurs at different phases, and combined with the clinical symptoms to explore the mechanisms and outcomes of migraine. METHODS: It’s a case-control study. We analyzed the resting-state brain functional magnetic resonance imaging in 19 patients with episodes, 22 patients with interictal phase, and 22 healthy controls. The ReHo method was used for post-processing. All subjects were evaluated using the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale, simple mental state examination (MMSE), Hamilton anxiety (HAMA) scale, and Hamilton depression (HAMD) scale. The subjects’ clinical indicators (such as frequency of attack, course of disease, duration of each headache, and severity of headache) were correlated with the ReHo values of brain regions. This study was approved by the ethics committee of Yangtze River Shipping General Hospital. RESULTS: Compared with the interictal, patients in the episode group had lower activation in bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), with Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) (−9, 42, 15); and had stronger activation in bilateral paracentral lobule (PCL), with MNI (−3, −24, 66). Compared with the control group, patients in interictal phase had lower activation in the bilateral cuneus and bilateral lingual gyrus, with MNI scores of (9, −84, 36) and (0, −72, 6), respectively. No significant difference in brain area was found between the episodes group and the control group. In the episodes group, a significant correlation was observed between attack frequency and ReHo value of the bilateral PCL (r=0.492; P=0.038). CONCLUSIONS: We need to observe the course of migraine as a whole. In the interictal period, the cuneus and lingual gyrus may affect the development of the disease. The ACC regulates different states of migraine by inducing anti-injury sensation regulation function. The paracentric lobule is not only associated with migraine attacks, but also with the frequency. This may have an effect on the outcome of subsequent migraines, as well as whether the condition becomes chronic, and the remodeling of the brain.