Increased Amplitude of Thalamocortical Low-Frequency Oscillations in Patients with Migraine

Abstract

For many years, neurobiological theories have emphasized the importance of neuronal oscillations in the emergence of brain function. At the same time, clinical studies have shown that disturbances or irregularities in brain rhythms may relate to various common neurological conditions, including migraine. Increasing evidence suggests that the CNS plays a fundamental role in the predisposition to develop different forms of headache. Here, we present human imaging data that strongly support the presence of abnormal low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) in thalamocortical networks of patients in the interictal phase of migraine. Our results show that the main source of arrhythmic activity was localized to the higher-order thalamic relays of the medial dorsal nucleus. In addition, spontaneous LFOs in the thalamus were selectively associated with the headache attack frequency, meaning that the varying amplitude of dysrhythmia could predispose patients to recurrent attacks. Rhythmic cortical feedback to the thalamus is a major factor in the amplification of thalamocortical oscillations, making it a strong candidate for influencing neuronal excitability. We further speculate that the intrinsic dynamics of thalamocortical network oscillations are crucial for early sensory processing and therefore could underlie important pathophysiological processes involved in multisensory integration.

Sex‐related pattern of intrinsic brain connectivity in drug‐naïve Parkinson's disease patients

“…12,[39][40][41] Particularly, functional abnormalities within the slow-5 band have been shown to differentiate patients from controls in pathological conditions, such as mild cognitive impairment, 42 depression, 43 bipolar disorders, 43 and pain syndromes. 44,45 Within these spectral canonical bands, our data revealed that early male PD patients show an abnormal SMN and DAN connectivity compared to both PD female patients and HCs. Moreover, in our correlation models, spectral changes within the SMN slow-5 band have revealed to be an independent predictor of disease severity at 2-year follow-up.…”

“…Indeed, oscillatory signals within these two bands have been primarily and consistently detected within gray matter and are likely to specifically rely on RS functional connectivity . Particularly, functional abnormalities within the slow‐5 band have been shown to differentiate patients from controls in pathological conditions, such as mild cognitive impairment, depression, bipolar disorders, and pain syndromes …”

Cortico–Cortical Connections of Primary Sensory Areas and Associated Symptoms in Migraine

“…Laterality of headache pain was reported as either unilateral ( N = 10 right-sided, N = 10 left-sided) or bilateral ( N = 20). The participants were studied intensively using a range of neuroimaging and behavioral tests, and some of these data have been used to address distinct questions previously (Hodkinson et al, 2016). …”

In child and adult migraineurs the somatosensory cortex stands out … again: An arterial spin labeling investigation

“…Neuroimaging investigations have shown alterations in cerebral perfusion [Hodkinson et al, ], volume [DaSilva et al, ], structure [DaSilva et al, ], chemical composition [Prescot et al, ], and low‐frequency oscillations [Hodkinson et al, ] in the interictal phase of the migraine brain. However, there have been inconsistent findings across studies making the use of imaging as a potential brain biomarker for migraine more difficult to define.…”