Researchers search for migraine causes via MRI
Wolfgang Kempkens, pte
Researchers of the University of Southern California have discovered significant changes in the perivascular spaces of a brain region called the "centrum semiovale" on MRI images. Perivascular spaces are fluid-filled bubbles surrounding blood vessels in the brain. They are most commonly found in the basal ganglia deep in the cerebral hemisphere and the center of the cerebrum, and along the visual tract. Perivascular spaces can cause blood-brain barrier abnormalities and inflammation.
150 million people affected
Migraine is a condition with severe headaches. It can also cause nausea, weakness and sensitivity to light. According to the American Migraine Foundation migraine affects more than 37 million people in the U.S. alone, and up to 148 million people worldwide suffer from chronic migraine. Wilson Xu and his colleagues detected the enlarged perivascular spaces with a seven-tesla MRI - common clinical devices come up with a magnetic field just half as strong.
To identify correlations, the researchers compared structural microvascular changes in different types of migraine. "Studying how fluid accumulation contributes to migraine could help us better understand the complexity of how migraine occurs," he said. Because the MRI we use is able to produce images of the brain with much higher resolution and better quality than with other types of MRI, we can detect much smaller changes that occur in brain tissue during migraine," Xu said.
Glymphatic system possible
The study participants included ten subjects each with chronic and episodic migraine and five healthy people. All were between 25 and 60 years old. The researchers suggest that significant differences in perivascular spaces in patients with migraine compared to healthy people indicate a glymphatic disorder in the brain.
The glymphatic system is responsible for eliminating soluble proteins and metabolites that are waste from the central nervous system. This could be a cause of migraine, however, much research needs to be done to understand all the connections. The results will be presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America presented in Chicago from November 27 to December 1.
Source: Press text
