Altered Alpha Oscillation Brain Activity In Migraine Patients:a Magnetoencephalography Study In Resting State

Objective: The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess resting state activity and effective connection networks in migraineurs with magnetoencephalography.Method: Forty three migraineurs(17 chronic migraine,26 episodic migraine)during their headache-free phase and 36 controls were studied with a MEG system at resting state.MEG signals in alpha frequency band(8-13Hz)were analyzed with virtual sensor time-frequency analysis and Graph theory.Result: Time frequency data revealed focal decreases of spectral power in the bilateral amygdala and thalamus.Network data showed increases of excitatory connections to the left thalamus.The episodic migraine group showed increased path length compared with the chronic migraine group and control group.Spectral power of thalamus showed significant correlation with headache duration and with visual analog scale in the chronic migraine group and in the episodic migraine group,respectively.Conclusion: Patients with migraine had aberrant brain activity and altered network pattern in the alpha frequency band during the resting state.The altered resting-state brain activity of patients with migraine during the headache-free phase may contribute to the susceptibility to migraine attacks and to affective disorders.The altered excitability of the thalamocortical system may play a key role in migraine pathophysiology.