Peri-ictal Normalization of Visual Cortex Excitability in Migraine: an MEG Study

To delineate if the change in cortical excitability persists across migraine attacks, visual evoked magnetic fields (VEF) were measured in patients with migraine without aura during the interictal ( n = 26) or peri-ictal ( n = 21) periods, and were compared with 30 healthy controls. The visual stimuli were checkerboard reversals with four different check sizes (15',30',60' and 120'). For each check size, five sequential blocks of 50 VEF responses were recorded to calculate the percentage change of the P100m amplitude in the second to the fifth blocks in comparison with the first block. At check size 120', interictal patients showed a larger amplitude increment than controls [28.1 ± 38.3% (S.D.) vs. 8.7 ± 21.3%] in the second block and a larger increment than peri-ictal patients in the second (28.1 ± 38.3% vs. -3.2 ± 19.2%), fourth (22.7 ± 31.2% vs. -5.7 ± 22.3%) and fifth (20.5 ± 30.4% vs. -10.8 ± 30.1%) blocks ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference at other check sizes or between peri-ictal patients and controls. In conclusion, there may be peri-ictal normalization of visual cortical excitability changes in migraine that is dependent on the spatial frequency of the stimuli and reflects a dynamic modulation of cortical activities.

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Changes in face and face pareidolia processing in patients with migraine: an ERP study

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00549.2019 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 123 (3) ◽

pp. 876-884 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gülsüm Akdeniz ◽

Sadiye Gumusyayla ◽

Gonul Vural ◽

Hesna Bektas ◽

Orhan Deniz

Keyword(s):

Migraine With Aura ◽

Migraine Without Aura ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Event Related Potentials ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Positive Potential ◽

Cortical Hyperexcitability ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Related Potentials

Migraine is a multifactorial brain disorder characterized by recurrent disabling headache attacks. One of the possible mechanisms in the pathogenesis of migraine may be a decrease in inhibitory cortical stimuli in the primary visual cortex attributable to cortical hyperexcitability. The aim of this study was to investigate the neural correlates underlying face and face pareidolia processing in terms of the event-related potential (ERP) components, N170, vertex positive potential (VPP), and N250, in patients with migraine. In total, 40 patients with migraine without aura, 23 patients with migraine and aura, and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. We recorded ERPs during the presentation of face and face pareidolia images. N170, VPP, and N250 mean amplitudes and latencies were examined. N170 was significantly greater in patients with migraine with aura than in healthy controls. VPP amplitude was significantly greater in patients with migraine without aura than in healthy controls. The face stimuli evoked significantly earlier VPP responses to faces (168.7 ms, SE = 1.46) than pareidolias (173.4 ms, SE = 1.41) in patients with migraine with aura. We did not find a significant difference between N250 amplitude for face and face pareidolia processing. A significant difference was observed between the groups for pareidolia in terms of N170 [F(2,86) = 14,75, P < 0.001] and VPP [F(2,86) = 16.43, P < 0.001] amplitudes. Early ERPs are a valuable tool to study the neural processing of face processing in patients with migraine to demonstrate visual cortical hyperexcitability. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Event-related potentials (ERPs) are important for understanding face and face pareidolia processing in patients with migraine. N170, vertex positive potential (VPP), and N250 ERPs were investigated. N170 was revealed as a potential component of cortical excitability for face and face pareidolia processing in patients with migraine.

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Over-expression of IL-6 coding gene in the peripheral blood of migraine with aura patients

Human Antibodies ◽

10.3233/hab-210442 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Mahdi Ramezani ◽

Alireza Komaki ◽

Mohammad Mahdi Eftekharian ◽

Mehrdokht Mazdeh ◽

Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard

Keyword(s):

Migraine With Aura ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Migraine Without Aura ◽

P Value ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Over Expression ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Male Patients ◽

Years Lived With Disability

Migraine is a common disorder which is placed among the top ten reasons of years lived with disability. Cytokines are among the molecules that contribute in the pathophysiology of migraine. In the current study, we evaluated expression levels of IL-6 coding gene in the peripheral blood of 120 migraine patients (54 migraine without aura and 66 migraine with aura patients) and 40 healthy subjects. No significant difference was detected in expression of IL-6 between total migraine patients and healthy controls (Posterior beta = 0.253, P value = 0.199). The interaction effect between gender and group was significant (Posterior beta =-1.274, P value = 0.011), therefore, we conducted subgroup analysis within gender group. Such analysis revealed that while expression of this gene is not different between male patients and male controls (Posterior beta =-0.371, P value > 0.999), it was significantly over-expressed in female patients compared with female controls (Posterior beta = 0.86, P= 0.002). Expression of IL-6 was significantly higher in patients with aura compared with controls (Posterior beta = 0.63, adjusted P value = 0.019). However, expression of this cytokine coding gene was not different between patients without aura and healthy subjects (Posterior beta = 0.193, adjusted P value = 0.281). Therefore, IL-6 might be involved in the pathophysiology of migraine among females and migraine with aura among both sexes.

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Gender-specific modulation of short-term neuroplasticity in the visual cortex induced by transcranial direct current stimulation

Visual Neuroscience ◽

10.1017/s0952523808080097 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 77-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

LEILA CHAIEB ◽

ANDREA ANTAL ◽

WALTER PAULUS

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Visual Cortex ◽

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Gonadal Hormones ◽

Study Data ◽

Short Term ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Significant Difference

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method of modulating levels of cortical excitability. In this study, data gathered over a number of previously conducted experiments before and after tDCS, has been re-analyzed to investigate correlations between sex differences with respect to neuroplastic effects. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs), phosphene thresholds (PTs), and contrast sensitivity measurements (CSs) are used as indicators of the excitability of the primary visual cortex. The data revealed that cathodally induced excitability effects 10 min post stimulation with tDCS, showed no significant difference between genders. However, stimulation in the anodal direction revealed sex-specific effects: in women, anodal stimulation heightened cortical excitability significantly when compared to the age-matched male subject group. There was no significant difference between male and female subjects immediately after stimulation. These results indicate that sex differences exist within the visual cortex of humans, and may be subject to the influences of modulatory neurotransmitters or gonadal hormones which mirror short-term neuroplastic effects.

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Differential effect of visual motion adaption upon visual cortical excitability

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00655.2016 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 117 (3) ◽

pp. 903-909 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Astrid J. A. Lubeck ◽

Angelique Van Ombergen ◽

Hena Ahmad ◽

Jelte E. Bos ◽

Floris L. Wuyts ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visual Cortex ◽

Visual Motion ◽

Cortical Excitability ◽

Roll Motion ◽

Subjective Visual Vertical ◽

Motion Adaptation ◽

Visual Vertical ◽

Early Visual Cortex ◽

Phosphene Threshold ◽

Visual Cortical

The objectives of this study were 1) to probe the effects of visual motion adaptation on early visual and V5/MT cortical excitability and 2) to investigate whether changes in cortical excitability following visual motion adaptation are related to the degree of visual dependency, i.e., an overreliance on visual cues compared with vestibular or proprioceptive cues. Participants were exposed to a roll motion visual stimulus before, during, and after visual motion adaptation. At these stages, 20 transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses at phosphene threshold values were applied over early visual and V5/MT cortical areas from which the probability of eliciting a phosphene was calculated. Before and after adaptation, participants aligned the subjective visual vertical in front of the roll motion stimulus as a marker of visual dependency. During adaptation, early visual cortex excitability decreased whereas V5/MT excitability increased. After adaptation, both early visual and V5/MT excitability were increased. The roll motion-induced tilt of the subjective visual vertical (visual dependence) was not influenced by visual motion adaptation and did not correlate with phosphene threshold or visual cortex excitability. We conclude that early visual and V5/MT cortical excitability is differentially affected by visual motion adaptation. Furthermore, excitability in the early or late visual cortex is not associated with an increase in visual reliance during spatial orientation. Our findings complement earlier studies that have probed visual cortical excitability following motion adaptation and highlight the differential role of the early visual cortex and V5/MT in visual motion processing. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We examined the influence of visual motion adaptation on visual cortex excitability and found a differential effect in V1/V2 compared with V5/MT. Changes in visual excitability following motion adaptation were not related to the degree of an individual's visual dependency.

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Visually guided associative learning in pediatric and adult migraine without aura

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1177/0333102420958388 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 033310242095838

Author(s):

Zsófia Giricz ◽

Ákos Pertich ◽

Attila Őze ◽

András Puszta ◽

Ágnes Fehér ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Migraine Without Aura ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Visually Guided ◽

Equivalence Test ◽

Acquired Equivalence ◽

Adult Study ◽

Pediatric Study ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Study Population ◽

Age And Sex

Introduction The Rutgers Acquired Equivalence Test is a visually guided equivalence learning paradigm that involves rule acquisition and generalization. Earlier we found impaired performance in this paradigm among adult migraine patients without aura. The aim of the study was to investigate if similar impairments can be found already in the pediatric form of the disease and to compare the performance of the pediatric study population with that of an adult study population. We hypothesized that the deficits observed in adults would be observable already in the pediatric population. Methods Twenty-seven children and adolescents newly diagnosed with migraine without aura and 27 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were tested with the Rutgers Acquired Equivalence Test. Their performance data were compared to each other and those of an earlier adult study population involving 22 patients and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Four parameters characterizing performance in the two main phases of the paradigm were calculated for each of the four groups. Performance parameters were compared with Mann-Whitney U test. Results In contrast to the decreased performance of the adult patients in the Rutgers Acquired Equivalence Test, no significant difference was found between pediatric patients and controls in any phase of the paradigm. Conclusion Children living with migraine without aura do not exhibit the same cognitive deficits in the Rutgers Acquired Equivalence Test as their adult counterparts. It can be hypothesized that the deficit of equivalence learning is not an inherent feature of the migrainous cognitive profile, rather the result of the interference of the disease with normal development.

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Increased nitroglycerin-mediated vasodilation in migraineurs without aura in the interictal period

Journal of Medical Ultrasonics ◽

10.1007/s10396-018-0880-3 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 605-610 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kazumi Fujioka ◽

Minoru Oishi ◽

Akira Fujioka ◽

Tomohiro Nakayama

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Brachial Artery ◽

Migraine Without Aura ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Brachial Artery Diameter ◽

Vascular Disorders ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Migraine Pathophysiology ◽

Selective Sensitivity

Abstract Purpose Migraine is associated with vascular disorders, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Nitric oxide (NO) sensitivity is believed to play a major role in migraine pathophysiology. We investigated flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) and nitroglycerin-mediated vasodilatation (NMD) of the brachial artery by means of a key molecular mediator, NO, in patients with migraine without aura in the interictal period whether the abnormality is found. Methods A total of 12 patients with migraine without aura and 12 matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. FMD and NMD were measured in all patients and controls using brachial artery ultrasonography. Results There was no significant difference in brachial artery diameter between migraineurs and nonmigraineurs (3.39 ± 0.68 vs 3.89 ± 0.67 mm, respectively; p = 0.083). A significant difference in FMD was not found between migraineurs and nonmigraineurs (6.94 ± 5.72 vs 6.08 ± 2.98%, respectively; p = 0.651). However, NMD in migraineurs was significant higher than that in nonmigraineurs (21.56 ± 7.36 vs 14.23 ± 7.41%, respectively; p = 0.024). Conclusion We think that patients with migraine without aura in the interictal period have selective sensitivity in dilator response to nitroglycerin and may have systemic NO sensitivity.

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The 1246 G/A polymorphism of the HCRTR2 gene is not associated with migraine

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01347.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 27 (8) ◽

pp. 945-949 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

L Pinessi ◽

E Binello ◽

P De Martino ◽

S Gallone ◽

S Gentile ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Chronic Migraine ◽

Genetic Risk ◽

Migraine Without Aura ◽

Control Design ◽

Case Control ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Experimental Animals ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Migraine Pathophysiology

Studies in experimental animals have suggested that the hypocretin/orexin system may be involved in migraine pathophysiology. Using a case-control design study, we genotyped 246 migraine patients and 239 healthy controls for the 1246G→A polymorphism of the hypocretin receptor 2 ( HCRTR2) gene. Genotypic and allelic frequencies of the examined polymorphism were similarly distributed between cases and controls (χ2 = 2.22, P = 0.14 and χ2 = 2.45, P = 0.29, respectively). When different migraine subgroups were compared (migraine with aura vs. migraine without aura and episodic vs. chronic migraine) no significant difference was found. Comparison of the clinical features of the disease with the 1246G→A genotypes showed no significant difference. Our data suggest that the HCRTR2 gene is not a genetic risk factor in migraine.

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Disrupted Dynamic Functional Connectivity of the Visual Network in Episodic Patients with Migraine without Aura

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/2022/9941832 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 2022 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Heng-Le Wei ◽

Tian Tian ◽

Gang-Ping Zhou ◽

Jin-Jin Wang ◽

Xi Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visual Cortex ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Migraine Without Aura ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Dynamic Functional Connectivity ◽

Lingual Gyrus ◽

Duration Of Disease ◽

The Right

Background. Visual symptoms are common in patients with migraine, even in interictal periods. The purpose was to assess the association between dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) of the visual cortex and clinical characteristics in migraine without aura (MwoA) patients. Methods. We enrolled fifty-five MwoA patients as well as fifty gender- and age-matched healthy controls. Regional visual cortex alterations were investigated using regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). Then, significant regions were selected as seeds for conducting dFC between the visual cortex and the whole brain. Results. Relative to healthy controls, MwoA patients exhibited decreased ReHo and ALFF values in the right lingual gyrus (LG) and increased ALFF values in the prefrontal cortex. The right LG showed abnormal dFC within the visual cortex and with other core brain networks. Additionally, ReHo values for the right LG were correlated with duration of disease and ALFF values of the right inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus were correlated with headache frequency and anxiety scores, respectively. Moreover, the abnormal dFC of the right LG with bilateral cuneus was positively correlated with anxiety scores. Conclusions. The dFC abnormalities of the visual cortex may be involved in pain integration with multinetworks and associated with anxiety disorder in episodic MwoA patients.

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Altered Macular Vasculature in Migraine Patients without Aura: Is It Associated with Ocular Vasculature and White Matter Hyperintensities?

Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1155/2020/3412490 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nurdan Gamze Taşlı ◽

Alevtina Ersoy

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Migraine Without Aura ◽

White Matter Hyperintensities ◽

Disease Duration ◽

Foveal Avascular Zone ◽

Ganglion Cell Complex ◽

Ophthalmological Examination ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Vascular Perfusion ◽

Significant Difference

Aim. We aimed to determine the alterations in macular and optic nerve vasculature in patients with migraine without aura using optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCTA). We also aimed to determine whether there were clinical differences and alterations in ocular structures in migraine cases with white matter hyperintensities (WMH) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods. The study group comprised patients with migraine without aura and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Detailed histories of the patients with migraine were recorded including the disease duration, number of attacks in the last month, and attack durations. Visual evoked potentials (VEP) were recorded in all migraine patients. The migraine disability assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire was administered to all patients. The patients were divided into two groups as migraine with WMHs and migraine without WMHs. All subjects underwent a complete neurological and ophthalmological examination. Only the right eyes of the patients were included in the study. Retinal imaging was performed using OCT and OCTA. Results. A total of 66 migraine patients (29 with WMH and 37 without WMH) and 43 healthy controls were included in this study. Among the migraine patients, disease duration, attack frequency in the last month, attack durations, and the visual analogue scale (VAS), MIDAS, and VEP scores were all similar between those with and without WMHs. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the ganglion cell complex, foveal, and retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses. The superficial or deep vascular perfusion densities of the optic disc were also similar between the groups. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) was significantly larger (P=0.034), and both superficial and deep macular vascular densities were significantly lower in the migraine groups compared with the healthy controls (P=0.001). There was no significant difference concerning the FAZ size or vascular densities between the migraine groups with and without WMHs. In the correlation analysis performed between the migraine patients, the FAZ size was correlated with age and VAS and MIDAS scores while both superficial and deep macular vascular densities were negatively correlated with age and VAS and MIDAS scores. Conclusion. We suggest that for not only migraine with aura but also migraine without aura, neurovascular structures play an important role in pathogenesis, and novel studies are warranted to elucidate the alterations in these and determine the significance of WMHs in these patient groups.

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Phosphene perceptions and safety of chronic visual cortex stimulation in a blind subject

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2019.3.jns182774 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 132 (6) ◽

pp. 2000-2007 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Soroush Niketeghad ◽

Abirami Muralidharan ◽

Uday Patel ◽

Jessy D. Dorn ◽

Laura Bonelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visual Cortex ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Clinical Intervention ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Neuronal Population ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

Stimulation Parameters ◽

The Right ◽

Visual Cortical ◽

Stimulation Of

Stimulation of primary visual cortices has the potential to restore some degree of vision to blind individuals. Developing safe and reliable visual cortical prostheses requires assessment of the long-term stability, feasibility, and safety of generating stimulation-evoked perceptions.A NeuroPace responsive neurostimulation system was implanted in a blind individual with an 8-year history of bare light perception, and stimulation-evoked phosphenes were evaluated over 19 months (41 test sessions). Electrical stimulation was delivered via two four-contact subdural electrode strips implanted over the right medial occipital cortex. Current and charge thresholds for eliciting visual perception (phosphenes) were measured, as were the shape, size, location, and intensity of the phosphenes. Adverse events were also assessed.Stimulation of all contacts resulted in phosphene perception. Phosphenes appeared completely or partially in the left hemifield. Stimulation of the electrodes below the calcarine sulcus elicited phosphenes in the superior hemifield and vice versa. Changing the stimulation parameters of frequency, pulse width, and burst duration affected current thresholds for eliciting phosphenes, and increasing the amplitude or frequency of stimulation resulted in brighter perceptions. While stimulation thresholds decreased between an average of 5% and 12% after 19 months, spatial mapping of phosphenes remained consistent over time. Although no serious adverse events were observed, the subject experienced mild headaches and dizziness in three instances, symptoms that did not persist for more than a few hours and for which no clinical intervention was required.Using an off-the-shelf neurostimulator, the authors were able to reliably generate phosphenes in different areas of the visual field over 19 months with no serious adverse events, providing preliminary proof of feasibility and safety to proceed with visual epicortical prosthetic clinical trials. Moreover, they systematically explored the relationship between stimulation parameters and phosphene thresholds and discovered the direct relation of perception thresholds based on primary visual cortex (V1) neuronal population excitation thresholds.

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