Abstract
Neuroimaging of migraine recently has provided us with further information regarding the pathophysiology of the disorder and posed important questions as to whether migraine is a progressive disorder. This article provides the background of imaging in migraine and discusses recent advances in the field.
Similar content being viewed by others
References and Recommended Reading
O’Brien MD: Cerebral blood changes in migraine. Headache 1971, 10:139–143.
Skinhoj E: Hemodynamic studies within the brain during migraine. Arch Neurol 1973, 29:95–98.
Olesen J, Larsen B, Lauritzen M: Focal hyperemia followed by spreading oligemia and impaired activation of rCBF in classic migraine. Ann Neurol 1981, 9:344–352.
Lauritzen M, Olesen J: Regional cerebral blood flow during migraine attacks by Xenon-133 inhalation and emission tomography. Brain 1984, 107:447–461.
Andersen AR, Friberg L, Olsen TS, Olesen J: Delayed hyperemia following hypoperfusion in classic migraine: single photon emission computed tomographic demonstration. Arch Neurol 1988, 45:154–159.
Friberg L, Olesen J, Iversen HK, Sperling B: Migraine pain associated with middle cerebral artery dilatation: reversal by sumatriptan. Lancet 1991, 338:13–17.
Sakai F, Meyer JS: Regional cerebral hemodynamics during migraine and cluster headaches measured by the 133Xe inhalation method. Headache 1978, 18:122–132.
Welch KM, Cao Y, Aurora S, et al.: MRI of the occipital cortex, red nucleus, and substantia nigra during visual aura of migraine. Neurology 1998, 51:1465–1469.
Cao Y, Aurora SK, Nagesh V, et al.: Functional MRI-BOLD of brainstem structures during visually triggered migraine. Neurology 2002, 59:72–78.
Cao Y, Welch KM, Aurora S, Vikingstad EM: Functional MRI-BOLD of visually triggered headache in patients with migraine. Arch Neurol 1999, 56:548–554.
Hadjikhani N, Sanchez Del Rio M, Wu O, et al.: Mechanisms of migraine aura revealed by functional MRI in human visual cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2001, 98:4687–4692. This study provides good evidence of the correlation between cortical spreading depression and aura.
Sanchez del Rio M, Bakker D, Wu O, et al.: Perfusion weighted imaging during migraine: spontaneous visual aura and headache. Cephalalgia 1999, 19:701–707.
Cutrer FM, Sorensen AG, Weisskoff RM, et al.: Perfusion-weighted imaging defects during spontaneous migrainous aura. Ann Neurol 1998, 43:25–31.
Astrup J, Siesjo BK, Symon L: Thresholds in cerebral ischemia: the ischemic penumbra. Stroke 1981, 12:723–725.
Bednarczyk EM, Remler B, Weikart C, et al.: Global cerebral blood flow, blood volume, and oxygen metabolism in patients with migraine headache. Neurology 1998, 50:1736–1740.
Woods RP, Iacoboni M, Mazziotta JC: Brief report: bilateral spreading cerebral hypoperfusion during spontaneous migraine headache. N Engl J Med 1994, 331:1689–1692.
Denuelle M, Fabre N, Payoux P, et al.: Posterior cortical hypoperfusion during spontaneous attacks of migraine without aura: a PET study [Abstract]. Cephalalgia 2005, 25:851–862.
Lauritzen M: Pathophysiology of the migraine aura: the spreading depression theory. Brain 1994, 117:199–210.
Goadsby PJ, Lambert GA, Lance JW: Differential effects on the internal and external carotid circulation of the monkey evoked by locus coeruleus stimulation. Brain Res 1982, 249:247–254.
Goadsby PJ, Duckworth JW: Low frequency stimulation of the locus coeruleus reduces regional cerebral blood flow in the spinalized cat. Brain Res 1989, 476:71–77.
Weiller C, May A, Limmroth V, et al.: Brain stem activation in spontaneous human migraine attacks. Nat Med 1995, 1:658–660.
Bahra A, Matharu MS, Buchel C, et al.: Brainstem activation specific to migraine headache. Lancet 2001, 357:1016–1017.
Afridi S, Giffin NJ, Kaube H, et al.: A PET study in spontaneous migraine. Arch Neurol 2005, 62:1270–1275.
Headache Classification Committee of The International Headache Society: The International Classification of Headache Disorders, edn 2. Cephalalgia 2004, 24(suppl 1):1–160.
Denuelle M, Fabre N, Payoux P, et al.: Brainstem and hypothalamic activation in spontaneous migraine attacks [Abstract]. Cephalalgia 2004, 24:775–814.
Afridi S, Matharu MS, Lee L, et al.: A PET study exploring the laterality of brainstem activation in migraine using glyceryl trinitrate. Brain 2005, 128:932–939. This is the largest PET study in migraine and the first to examine laterality in migraine.
May A, Kaube H, Buchel C, et al.: Experimental cranial pain elicited by capsaicin: a PET study. Pain 1998, 74:61–66.
May A, Bahra A, Buchel C, et al.: Hypothalamic activation in cluster headache attacks. Lancet 1998, 352:275–278.
May A, Bahra A, Buchel C, et al.: Functional magnetic resonance imaging in spontaneous attacks of SUNCT: short-lasting neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing. Ann Neurol 1999, 46:791–794.
Matharu MS, Cohen AS, McGonigle DJ, et al.: Posterior hypothalamic and brainstem activation in hemicrania continua. Headache 2004, 44:747–761.
Friberg L, Olesen J, Iversen HK, Tfelt-Hansen P: Interictal "patchy" regional cerebral blood flow patterns in migraine patients: a single photon-emission computerized tomographic study. Eur J Neurol 1994, 1:35–43.
Levine SR, Welch KM, Ewing JR, Robertson WM: Asymmetric cerebral blood flow patterns in migraine. Cephalalgia 1987, 7:245–248.
Lagreze HL, Dettmers C, Hartmann A: Abnormalities of interictal cerebral perfusion in classic but not common migraine. Stroke 1988, 19:1108–1111.
Schlake HP, Bottger IG, Grotemeyer KH, et al.: Single photon-emission computed tomography with technetium-99m hexamethyl propylenamino oxime in the pain-free interval of migraine and cluster headache. Eur Neurol 1990, 30:153–156.
Welch KM, Nagesh V, Aurora S, Gelman N: Periaqueductal grey matter dysfunction in migraine: Cause or the burden of illness? Headache 2001, 41:629–637.
Matharu MS, Bartsch T, Ward N, et al.: Central neuromodulation in chronic migraine patients with suboccipital stimulators: a PET study. Brain 2004, 127:220–230.
Swartz RH, Kern RZ: Migraine is associated with magnetic resonance imaging white matter abnormalities: a metaanalysis. Arch Neurol 2004, 61:1366–1368.
Kruit MC, van Buchem MA, Hofman PA, et al.: Migraine as a risk factor for subclinical brain lesions. JAMA 2004, 291:427–434. This is a good population-based study looking at the prevalence of structural MRI changes in migraine.
Ducros A, Denier C, Joutel A, et al.: The clinical spectrum of familial hemiplegic migraine associated with mutations in a neuronal calcium channel. N Engl J Med 2001, 345:17–24.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Afridi, S.K., Goadsby, P.J. Neuroimaging of migraine. Current Science Inc 10, 221–224 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-006-0049-4
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-006-0049-4