Migraine and structural changes in the Brain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Asma Bashir, Richard B. Lipton, Sait Ashina, Messoud Ashina

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

261 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between migraine without aura (MO) and migraine with aura (MA) and 3 types of structural brain abnormalities detected by MRI: white matter abnormalities (WMAs), infarct-like lesions (ILLs), and volumetric changes in gray and white matter (GM,WM) regions. Methods: PubMed as well as the reference lists of identified studies and reviews were used to identify potentially eligible studies through January 2013. Candidate studies were reviewed and eligible studies were abstracted. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for WMAs and ILLs. Results: Six population-based and 13 clinic-based studies were identified. The studies suggested that structural brain changes, includingWMAs, silent ILLs, and volumetric changes in GM andWM regions, were more common in migraineurs than in control groups. The results were strongest for MA. The meta-analysis of WMAs showed an association for MA (OR 1.68 95% CI 1.07-2.6 p 5 0.03) but not for MO (OR 1.34 95% CI 0.96-1.87 p 5 0.08). The association of ILLs was greater for MA (OR 1.44 95% CI 1.02-2.03 p 5 0.04) than for MO, but no association was found for MA (p 5 0.52) and MO (p 5 0.08) compared to controls. Conclusion: These data suggest that migraine may be a risk factor for structural changes in the brain. Additional longitudinal studies are needed to determine the differential influence of migraine without and with aura, to better characterize the effects of attack frequency, and to assess longitudinal changes in brain structure and function.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1260-1268
Number of pages9
JournalNeurology
Volume81
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Oct 2013
Externally publishedYes

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