Functional Connectivity Features of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging May Distinguish Migraine From Tension-Type Headache

Yajuan Wang; Yingshuang Wang; Lihong Bu; Shaoyang Wang; Xinhui Xie; Fuchun Lin; Zheman Xiao

doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.851111

Functional Connectivity Features of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging May Distinguish Migraine From Tension-Type Headache

Front Neurosci. 2022 Apr 26:16:851111. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.851111. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yajuan Wang¹, Yingshuang Wang¹, Lihong Bu², Shaoyang Wang³, Xinhui Xie⁴, Fuchun Lin⁵, Zheman Xiao¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
² Positron Emission Tomography-Computer Tomography (PET-CT)/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
³ Department of Emergency, People's Hospital of Rizhao, Rizhao, China.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.

Abstract

Background: Migraineurs often exhibited abnormalities in cognition, emotion, and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), whereas patients with tension-type headache (TTH) rarely exhibited these abnormalities. The aim of this study is to explore whether rsFC alterations in brain regions related to cognition and emotion could be used to distinguish patients with migraine from patients with TTH.

Methods: In this study, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and rsFC analyses were used to assess the cognition, anxiety, and depression of 24 healthy controls (HCs), 24 migraineurs, and 24 patients with TTH. Due to their important roles in neuropsychological functions, the bilateral amygdala and hippocampus were chosen as seed regions for rsFC analyses. We further assessed the accuracy of the potential rsFC alterations for distinguishing migraineurs from non-migraineurs (including HCs and patients with TTH) by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Associations between headache characteristics and rsFC features were calculated using a multi-linear regression model. This clinical trial protocol has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registry number: ChiCTR1900024307, Registered: 5 July 2019-Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=40817).

Results: Migraineurs showed lower MoCA scores (p = 0.010) and higher SAS scores (p = 0.017) than HCs. Migraineurs also showed decreased rsFC in the bilateral calcarine/cuneus, lingual gyrus (seed: left amygdala), and bilateral calcarine/cuneus (seed: left hippocampus) in comparison to HCs and patients with TTH. These rsFC features demonstrated significant distinguishing capabilities and got a sensitivity of 82.6% and specificity of 81.8% with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.868. rsFC alterations showed a significant correlation with headache frequency in migraineurs (p = 0.001, Pc = 0.020).

Conclusion: The rsFC of amygdala and hippocampus with occipital lobe can be used to distinguish patients with migraine from patients with TTH.

Clinical trial registration: [http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=40817], identifier [ChiCTR1900024307].

Keywords: cognition; emotion; functional connectivity; migraine; resting state functional magnetic resonance image; tension-type headache.