Mechanistic investigation of acupuncture treatment in patients with migraine: Evidence from brain imaging study (I)

Objective

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have demonstrated anatomical and functional alterations of brain regions in patients with migraine, and the efficacy of acupuncture for migraine could regulate these abnormal alterations. However, its pathogenesis remains ambiguous, and inconsistent results have been reported. The purpose of this study was to explore abnormal structural and functional alterations in patients with migraine using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis and a seed-based functional connectivity (FC) approach and to provide a basis for future research.

Methods

The study recruited 34 patients with migraine and 38 healthy controls who underwent structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). VBM was evaluated across the whole brain, and group differences in the gray matter (GM) were compared. The significantly altered GM volumes considered as the seeding area were further calculated for the FC of the whole brain. The correlation between structural or functional changes of the brain and clinical features was also evaluated.

Results

Patients with migraine manifested higher GM volumes in the left occipital lobe than healthy controls. Seed-based analyses demonstrated reduced FC between the left occipital lobe and right inferior frontal gyrus, extending to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and right insula. Decreased FC in the left ACC was positively correlated with visual analog scale (VAS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS).

Conclusions

This study indicated that patients with migraine exhibited abnormal changes in brain regions, which could facilitate a better understanding of how brain structure and function impact the symptoms of migraine and provide the basis for elucidating the potential mechanisms of acupuncture for migraine.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, Chi CTR2000033995. Registered on 20 June 2020.