"Abstract:
Migraine with aura is a highly prevalent disorder involving transient neurological disturbances associated with migraine headache. While the pathophysiology is incompletely understood, findings from clinical and basic science studies indicate a potential key role of the thalamus in the mechanisms underlying migraine with and without aura. […] Our results indicate that the pathophysiology of migraine with aura does not involve alteration of thalamic volume."

Using structural MRI data, acquired at Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Anders Hougaard from Danish Headache Center, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, measured the volume of thalamic nuclei in 156 migraine patients with aura and 126 unrelated migraine-free matched controls, and 29 migraine aura-free co-twins. All persons were identified from the Danish Twin Registry.

Using 2 advanced analysis methods, he found no between-group differences in thalamic volume, including its nuclei. Our null finding contrasts with 2 recent, clinic-based MRI studies reporting volume changes in individual thalamic nuclei in migraine patients with & without aura.

This study has become possible through a collaborative effort involving research groups at Odense University Hospital (PI David Gaist), Rigshospital Glostrup (PI Messoud Ashina) and DRCMR.

Read the paper (pdf) entitled "Migraine with aura in women is not associated with structural thalamic" by clicking HERE.