Altered Topology of Brain Structural Network in Patients With Migraine Without Aura: A Structural MRI Study

IF 3.4 2区医学 Q1 ANESTHESIOLOGY

European Journal of Pain Pub Date : 2025-09-25 DOI:10.1002/ejp.70129

Zi-Min Cao, Jing-Nan Jia, Guo-Yun Liu, Ze-Qiu Yang, Jing-Shi Zhang, An-qi Shi, Yi-Chao Chen, Jian-Wei Huo, Ya-Nan Zhang, Ni Liu, Chao-Qun Yan, Jun Wang

{"title":"Altered Topology of Brain Structural Network in Patients With Migraine Without Aura: A Structural MRI Study","authors":"Zi-Min Cao, Jing-Nan Jia, Guo-Yun Liu, Ze-Qiu Yang, Jing-Shi Zhang, An-qi Shi, Yi-Chao Chen, Jian-Wei Huo, Ya-Nan Zhang, Ni Liu, Chao-Qun Yan, Jun Wang","doi":"10.1002/ejp.70129","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Background</h3>\n \n <p>Migraine is a neurovascular disease associated with significant morbidity and disability, but its underlying pathophysiology remains elusive. Functional alterations within the brain are frequently observed in individuals with migraine, whereas structural changes are less frequently documented. This study was primarily designed to investigate topological abnormalities in brain structural networks in patients with migraine using structural magnetic resonance imaging.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>Graph theoretical analysis was used to compare global and regional topological properties of grey matter structural networks in 37 migraine patients and 44 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls. Structural correlation networks were constructed for both groups on the basis of measurements of grey matter volume.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>A statistically significant difference was observed in the scores of Self-rating Anxiety Scales (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scales (SDS) between migraine patients and healthy controls. The brain networks of patients exhibited significantly increased path length, decreased clustering coefficient, and small-worldness at the global level. At the regional level, brain regions with changes in node degree/betweenness centrality in migraine patients were predominantly located in the left cuneus, the left fusiform gyrus, the left precuneus, the right precentral gyrus, the right middle frontal gyrus, and the bilateral lingual gyrus.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusion</h3>\n \n <p>The findings of this research indicate that the topological organisation is less efficient in individuals who experience migraine. This may provide new insight into the pathogenesis of migraine from a structural perspective.</p>\n \n <p><b>Trial Registration:</b> Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000033995</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Significance</h3>\n \n <p>The present study addresses the central pathogenesis of migraine and shows at a structural level that global brain properties are altered in migraine patients and that regional properties of specific brain regions also show abnormalities. This provides new ideas and an objective basis for the future diagnosis and treatment of migraine.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":12021,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Pain","volume":"29 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ejp.70129","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Pain","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejp.70129","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ANESTHESIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Migraine is a neurovascular disease associated with significant morbidity and disability, but its underlying pathophysiology remains elusive. Functional alterations within the brain are frequently observed in individuals with migraine, whereas structural changes are less frequently documented. This study was primarily designed to investigate topological abnormalities in brain structural networks in patients with migraine using structural magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods

Graph theoretical analysis was used to compare global and regional topological properties of grey matter structural networks in 37 migraine patients and 44 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls. Structural correlation networks were constructed for both groups on the basis of measurements of grey matter volume.

Results

A statistically significant difference was observed in the scores of Self-rating Anxiety Scales (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scales (SDS) between migraine patients and healthy controls. The brain networks of patients exhibited significantly increased path length, decreased clustering coefficient, and small-worldness at the global level. At the regional level, brain regions with changes in node degree/betweenness centrality in migraine patients were predominantly located in the left cuneus, the left fusiform gyrus, the left precuneus, the right precentral gyrus, the right middle frontal gyrus, and the bilateral lingual gyrus.

Conclusion

The findings of this research indicate that the topological organisation is less efficient in individuals who experience migraine. This may provide new insight into the pathogenesis of migraine from a structural perspective.

Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000033995

Significance

The present study addresses the central pathogenesis of migraine and shows at a structural level that global brain properties are altered in migraine patients and that regional properties of specific brain regions also show abnormalities. This provides new ideas and an objective basis for the future diagnosis and treatment of migraine.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

无先兆偏头痛患者脑结构网络拓扑改变：一项结构MRI研究。

背景：偏头痛是一种与显著发病率和致残性相关的神经血管疾病，但其潜在的病理生理机制尚不清楚。在偏头痛患者中经常观察到大脑功能的改变，而结构的改变很少被记录。本研究主要目的是利用结构磁共振成像研究偏头痛患者脑结构网络的拓扑异常。方法：采用图理论分析比较37例偏头痛患者和44例年龄、性别和教育程度相匹配的健康对照者的灰质结构网络的整体和区域拓扑特性。在灰质体积测量的基础上，为两组构建结构相关网络。结果：偏头痛患者焦虑自评量表（SAS）和抑郁自评量表（SDS）得分与健康对照组比较，差异均有统计学意义。患者脑网络的路径长度显著增加，聚类系数显著降低，整体呈现小世界特征。在区域水平上，偏头痛患者发生节点度/中间度中心性变化的脑区主要位于左侧楔叶、左侧梭状回、左侧楔前叶、右侧中央前回、右侧额叶中回和双侧舌回。结论：本研究结果表明，拓扑组织是效率较低的个体谁经历偏头痛。这可能从结构角度对偏头痛的发病机制提供新的认识。意义：本研究探讨了偏头痛的中心发病机制，并在结构水平上显示偏头痛患者的整体脑特性发生改变，特定脑区域的局部特性也表现出异常。这为今后偏头痛的诊断和治疗提供了新的思路和客观依据。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

European Journal of Pain 医学-临床神经学

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

5.60%

发文量

163

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： European Journal of Pain (EJP) publishes clinical and basic science research papers relevant to all aspects of pain and its management, including specialties such as anaesthesia, dentistry, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, palliative care, pharmacology, physiology, psychiatry, psychology and rehabilitation; socio-economic aspects of pain are also covered. Regular sections in the journal are as follows: • Editorials and Commentaries • Position Papers and Guidelines • Reviews • Original Articles • Letters • Bookshelf The journal particularly welcomes clinical trials, which are published on an occasional basis. Research articles are published under the following subject headings: • Neurobiology • Neurology • Experimental Pharmacology • Clinical Pharmacology • Psychology • Behavioural Therapy • Epidemiology • Cancer Pain • Acute Pain • Clinical Trials.