Menstrually-related migraine shapes the structural similarity network integration of brain

Abstract

Menstrually-related migraine (MM) is a primary migraine in women of reproductive age. The underlying neural mechanism of MM was still unclear. In this study, we aimed to reveal the case–control differences in network integration and segregation for the morphometric similarity network of MM. Thirty-six patients with MM and 29 healthy females were recruited and underwent MRI scanning. The morphometric features were extracted in each region to construct the single-subject interareal cortical connection using morphometric similarity. The network topology characteristics, in terms of integration and segregation, were analyzed. Our results revealed that, in the absence of morphology differences, disrupted cortical network integration was found in MM patients compared to controls. The patients with MM showed a decreased global efficiency and increased characteristic path length compared to healthy controls. Regional efficiency analysis revealed the decreased efficiency in the left precentral gyrus and bilateral superior temporal gyrus contributed to the decreased network integration. The increased nodal degree centrality in the right pars triangularis was positively associated with the attack frequency in MM. Our results suggested MM would reorganize the morphology in the pain-related brain regions and reduce the parallel information processing capacity of the brain.

Aberrant brain functional hubs and causal effective connectivity in menstrually-related and non-menstrually-related migraine without aura

“…Altered gray matter volumes in the temporal lobe have also been reported in vestibular migraine patients, indicating that this brain region is majorly involved in pain regulation ( 35 ). Li et al discovered that regional efficiency in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus was decreased in MRM patients compared to healthy controls, which was attributed to the decreased network integration ( 36 ). Anatomically, the insula and the mesial temporal lobe are directly connected through amygdaloinsular fasciculus in the extreme capsule, forming the temporoinsular projection system ( 37 ).…”

Structural and functional changes of anterior cingulate cortex subregions in migraine without aura: relationships with pain sensation and pain emotion

“…Prolonged and repeated attacks of pain can seriously affect the daily activities of patients and exacerbate various symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and photophobia ( Szabó et al. 2019 ; Li et al. 2023 ).…”