Differences in Cortical Morphology between Migraineurs with and without Photophobia
Noboru Imai1, Asami Moriya2, Eiji Kitamura3
1Department of Neurology and Headache Center, Japanese Red Cross Shizuoka Hospital, 2Japanese Red Cross Shizuoka Hospital, 3Kitasato University
Objective:
To evaluate differences in cortical morphology between patients with migraine with and without photophobia.
Background:
Previous studies have shown significant differences in dynamic resting-state functional connectivity in regions such as the right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right lingual gyrus, and left supramarginal gyrus between patients with migraine with photophobia and those without. However, morphological differences in these regions remain unclear.
Design/Methods:
Ten patients with migraine and photophobia (without phonophobia or osmophobia) and ten patients with migraine without sensory sensitivities underwent 3T MRI during the interictal phase. T1-weighted structural images were acquired using an accelerated sagittal inversion recovery fast spoiled gradient echo sequence. Gray matter volume, cortical surface area, and cortical thickness were compared using surface-based morphometry (FreeSurfer software). The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board, and all participants provided written informed consent.
Results:
Significant increases in gray matter volume were observed in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex (p = 0.014), right pars triangularis (p = 0.027), right supramarginal gyrus (p = 0.006), and left rostral anterior cingulate cortex (p = 0.006) in the photophobia group. Surface area increases were found in the right lingual gyrus (p = 0.049), right pericalcarine cortex (p = 0.021), right supramarginal gyrus (p = 0.006), and left postcentral gyrus (p = 0.010). Decreased cortical thickness was noted in the right postcentral gyrus (p = 0.027), right superior parietal lobule (p = 0.043), and left supramarginal gyrus (p = 0.008) in the photophobia group.
Conclusions:
The observed structural changes in regions such as the right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right lingual gyrus, and left supramarginal gyrus—which previously showed altered functional connectivity—suggest that morphological alterations may underlie the disrupted connectivity. These findings enhance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying photophobia in migraine.
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