Data from: An fMRI-based neural marker for migraine without aura

Objective: To identify and validate a functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI)-based neural marker for migraine without aura (MwoA) and
examine its association with treatment response. Methods: Cross-sectional
studies with resting-state fMRI data from 230 participants and machine
learning analyses were conducted. In Studies 1-3, we identified,
cross-validated, independently validated, and cross-sectionally validated
an fMRI-based neural marker for MwoA. In Study 4, we assessed the
relationship between the neural marker and treatment responses in
migraineurs who received a 4-week acupuncture treatment in a registered
clinical trial. Results: In Study 1 (n = 116), we identified a neural
marker with abnormal functional connectivity within the visual, default
mode, sensorimotor, and frontal-parietal networks that could discriminate
migraineurs from healthy controls (HCs) with 93% sensitivity and 89%
specificity. In Study 2 (n = 38), we investigated the generalizability of
the marker by applying it on an independent cohort of migraineurs and HCs
and achieved 84% sensitivity and specificity. In Study 3 (n = 76), we
verified the specificity of the marker with new datasets of migraineurs
and other chronic pain disorders (chronic low back pain and fibromyalgia)
and demonstrated 78% sensitivity and 76% specificity for discriminating
migraineurs from non-migraineurs. In Study 4 (n = 116), we found that the
changes in the marker responses showed significant correlation with the
changes in headache frequency in response to real acupuncture. Conclusion:
We identified an fMRI-based neural marker that captures distinct
characteristics of MwoA and can link disease pattern changes to brain
changes.