Abstract
BackgroundMigraine affects roughly 10% of youth aged 5–15 years, however the underlying mechanisms of migraine in youth are poorly understood. Multiple structural and functional alterations have been shown in the brains of adult migraine sufferers. This study aims to investigate the effects of migraine on resting-state functional connectivity during the period of transition from childhood to adolescence, a critical period of brain development and the time when rates of pediatric chronic pain spikes.MethodsUsing independent component analysis, we compared resting state network spatial maps and power spectra between youth with migraine aged 7–15 and age-matched controls. Statistical comparisons were conducted using a MANCOVA analysis.ResultsWe show (1) group by age interaction effects on connectivity in the visual and salience networks, group by sex interaction effects on connectivity in the default mode network and group by pubertal status interaction effects on connectivity in visual and frontal parietal networks, and (2) relationships between connectivity in the visual networks and the migraine cycle, and age by cycle interaction effects on connectivity in the visual, default mode and sensorimotor networks.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that brain alterations begin early in youth with migraine and are modulated by development. This highlights the need for further study into the neural mechanisms of migraine in youth specifically, to aid in the development of more effective treatments.
Highlights
Migraine is a chronic condition characterised by recurrent, severe headaches
Resting-state functional connectivity analysis focuses on spontaneous Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal oscillations which occur during the
Participants were included if they had a physician diagnosis of migraine, which was confirmed using the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (ICHD-III) beta diagnostic criteria [26], had no other accompanying neurological, psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism), met the standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) safety criteria and were not taking medications that could interfere with brain chemistry, such as triptans
Summary
Migraine is a chronic condition characterised by recurrent, severe headaches. Migraine is one of the top five most frequent childhood diseases, affecting over 10% of youth aged 5–15 [1]. Children and adolescents with migraine show differences in resting-state functional connectivity in the brain. Resting-state functional connectivity analysis focuses on spontaneous Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal oscillations which occur during the. Using independent component analysis (ICA), Colon et al (2019) showed significant differences in intra-network connectivity in sensory and cognitive networks in adolescents with migraine aged 12–19 [6]. Using ICA, Messina et al (2019) found both altered intra- and internetwork connectivity in brain networks involved in multisensory processing and cognitive control of pain in youth with migraine aged 9–17 [7]. This study aims to investigate the effects of migraine on resting-state functional connectivity during the period of transition from childhood to adolescence, a critical period of brain development and the time when rates of pediatric chronic pain spikes
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