Gray matter volume modifications in migraine: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Objective. To explore cross-sectional and longitudinal gray matter (GM) volume changes in migraine patients and their association with patients’ clinical characteristics and disease activity.
Methods. Brain T2-weighted and 3D T1-weighted scans were acquired from 73 episodic migraineurs and 46 age- and sex-matched non-migraine controls at baseline. Twenty-four migraineurs and 25 controls agreed to be re-examined after a mean follow-up of 4 years. Using a general linear model and SPM12, a whole-brain analysis was performed to assess GM volume modifications.
Results. At baseline, compared to controls, migraine patients showed lower cerebellar GM volume and higher volume of regions of the fronto-temporal lobes. At follow-up, migraineurs were significantly older than controls. Over the follow-up, migraineurs developed an increased volume of fronto-temporo-parietal regions, which was more prominent in patients with a higher baseline disease activity: long disease duration and high attack fr...