Differences in Cortical Morphology in People With and Without Migraine
Rune H. Christensen, Håkan Ashina, Haidar M. Al‐Khazali, Yixin Zhang, Daniel Tolnai, Amanda Holmen Poulsen, Alessandro Cagol, Nouchine Hadjikhani, Cristina Granziera, Faisal Mohammad Amin, Messoud Ashina
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Structural imaging can offer insights into the cortical morphometry of migraine, which might reflect adaptations to recurring nociceptive messaging. This study compares cortical morphometry between a large sample of people with migraine and healthy controls, as well as across migraine subtypes. METHODS: < 0.05, adjusted for age, sex, and total intracranial volume. RESULTS: = 0.014). DISCUSSION: The identified cortical changes in migraine were limited to specific pain processing regions, including the insula and caudal anterior cingulate gyrus, and were most notable in participants with chronic migraine. These findings suggest persistent cortical changes associated with migraine. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: The REFORM study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04674020).