BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Various features of the cerebral cortex and white matter have been extensively investigated in migraine with aura (MwA), but the morphological characteristics of subcortical structures have been largely neglected. The aim of this study was to identify possible differences in subcortical structures between MwA patients and healthy subjects (HS), and also to determine the correlations between the characteristics of migraine aura and the volumes of subcortical structures. METHODS: Thirty-two MwA patients and 32 HS matched by sex and age were analyzed in this study. Regional subcortical brain volumes were automatically calculated using the FSL/FMRIB Image Registration and Segmentation Tool software (https://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/fslwiki/Glossary). A general linear model analysis was used to investigate differences in the volume of subcortical structures between the MwA patients and HS. A partial correlation test was used to assess correlations between the volume of subcortical structures and characteristics of MwA. RESULTS: The volumes of the right globus pallidus, left globus pallidus, and left putamen were significantly smaller in MwA patients than in HS (mean±SD): 1,427±135 mm³ vs. 1,557±136 mm³ (p<0.001), 1,436±126 mm³ vs. 1,550±139 mm³ (p=0.001), and 4,235±437 mm³ vs. 4,522±412 mm³ (p=0.006), respectively. There were no significant relationships between subcortical structures and clinical parameters. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that both the globus pallidi and left putamen play significant roles in the pathophysiology of the MwA. Future studies should determine the cause-and-effect relationships, since these could not be discriminated in this study due to its cross-sectional design.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex ; Epilepsy ; Globus Pallidus ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Migraine Disorders ; Migraine with Aura ; Putamen ; White Matter

OBJECTIVE: Previous migraine studies have reported gray matter alterations in various cortical regions with conflicting results. This study aimed to explore a cortical morphometric difference in migraineurs with aura (MA) compared to healthy subjects (HS) and to delineate a possible difference between the cortical morphological features and different aura phenotypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight MA and 30 HS that were balanced by sex, age, and educational level were selected for this study. T2-weighted and three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain were acquired using a 1.5T MRI scanner. Surface-based morphometry from the MRI data was used to identify differences between the MA and HS group, and then between MA subgroups. The MA group was subdivided into migraineurs who experienced only visual aura (MVA) and migraineurs who had visual, somatosensory and dysphasic symptoms (MVA+). RESULTS: The MVA+ group had significantly reduced cortical surface area of the left rostral middle frontal cortex compared with the MVA group (p < 0.001). Migraine patients had significantly reduced volume of the left fusiform gyrus relative to HS (p < 0.001). Also, the sulcal depth increased at the level of the left temporal pole in the MVA+ group relative to the MVA group (p < 0.001). The vertex-by-vertex analysis did not exhibit any significant difference in cortical thickness between MA and HS, and between MVA+ and MVA, when corrected for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSION: Migraineurs with aura demonstrates different morphometric features from HS in multiple cortical regions. MVA+ have different morphometric features in the left frontal and temporal lobe relative to MVA, which could be a source of distinct symptoms and serve as potential biomarkers of different MA subtypes.
Aphasia ; Biomarkers ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Epilepsy ; Frontal Lobe ; Gray Matter ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Migraine Disorders* ; Migraine with Aura* ; Phenotype ; Temporal Lobe