Journal Club: Change in brain network connectivity during PACAP38-induced migraine attacks

There is evidence to suggest that migraine attacks involve changes in complex neuronal networks that can be measured using functional MRI (fMRI) methods including resting state functional connectivity (RSFC). Networks that have previously been shown to be involved in the sensory and affective aspects of pain perception include the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and sensorimotor network (SMN) (figure).1 In a recent study, Amin et al.2 examined the RSFC of these 3 networks at baseline and in the early phases of experimentally induced migraine in patients with migraine without aura. In order to capture the early phases of migraine, corresponding to the time closest to migraine attack onset, migraine attacks were induced using the potent vasodilator neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP38).3 Since vasodilators can alter hemodynamics and potentially confound the fMRI signal, another vasodilator, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), was used as a control since it also acts on extracranial arteries, but is much less likely (<20%) to provoke migraine-like attacks.3

Source: Neurology - October 16, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: DeSouza, D. D., O'Hare, M., Woldeamanuel, Y. W., Cowan, R. P. Tags: All Headache, Migraine, fMRI, All Pain, Functional neuroimaging RESIDENT AND FELLOW SECTION Source Type: research