Impaired brainstem and thalamic high-frequency oscillatory EEG activity in migraine between attacks

Camillo Porcaro*, Giorgio di Lorenzo, Stefano Seri, Francesco Pierelli, Franca Tecchio, Gianluca Coppola

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: We investigated whether interictal thalamic dysfunction in migraine without aura (MO) patients is a primary determinant or the expression of its functional disconnection from proximal or distal areas along the somatosensory pathway.

METHODS: Twenty MO patients and twenty healthy volunteers (HVs) underwent an electroencephalographic (EEG) recording during electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist. We used the functional source separation algorithm to extract four functionally constrained nodes (brainstem, thalamus, primary sensory radial, and primary sensory motor tangential parietal sources) along the somatosensory pathway. Two digital filters (1-400 Hz and 450-750 Hz) were applied in order to extract low- (LFO) and high- frequency (HFO) oscillatory activity from the broadband signal.

RESULTS: Compared to HVs, patients presented significantly lower brainstem (BS) and thalamic (Th) HFO activation bilaterally. No difference between the two cortical HFO as well as in LFO peak activations between the two groups was seen. The age of onset of the headache was positively correlated with HFO power in the right brainstem and thalamus.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for complex dysfunction of brainstem and thalamocortical networks under the control of genetic factors that might act by modulating the severity of migraine phenotype.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)915-926
Number of pages12
JournalCephalalgia
Volume37
Issue number10
Early online date29 Jun 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2017

Keywords

  • brainstem
  • electroencephalography (EEG)
  • functional source separation (FSS)
  • High-frequency oscillations (HFOs)
  • migraine
  • thalamus

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Impaired brainstem and thalamic high-frequency oscillatory EEG activity in migraine between attacks'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this