Aberrant Connectivity from Somatosensory Cortex

Migraine is associated with aberrant connections from the somatosensory cortex to the frontal lobe, according to a recent study. The frequency-specific increases in connectivity in terms of strength, path length, and clustering coefficients support the notion that migraineurs have elevated cortical networks. Twenty-two migraineurs in the interictal phase and 22 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers were studied using a whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) system. Researchers found:

• The brain network patterns revealed that the patients with migraine exhibited remarkably increased functional connectivity in the high-frequency (250–1000 Hz) band between the sensory cortex and the frontal lobe.
• The results of quantitative analysis of graph theory showed that the patients had:

1. an increased degree of connectivity in the theta (4–8 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands;
2. an increased connectivity strength in the beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands;
3. an increased path length in the beta (13–30 Hz), gamma (30–80 Hz) and ripple (80–250 Hz) bands; and
4. an increased clustering coefficient in the theta (4–8 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands.

Ren J, Xiang J, Chen Y, li F, Wu T, Shi J. Abnormal functional connectivity under somatosensory stimulation in migraine: A multi-frequency magnetoencephalography study. J Headache Pain. 2019;20(1):3. doi:10.1186/s10194-019-0958-3.

Migraine is associated with aberrant connections from the somatosensory cortex to the frontal lobe, according to a recent study. The frequency-specific increases in connectivity in terms of strength, path length, and clustering coefficients support the notion that migraineurs have elevated cortical networks. Twenty-two migraineurs in the interictal phase and 22 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers were studied using a whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) system. Researchers found:

• The brain network patterns revealed that the patients with migraine exhibited remarkably increased functional connectivity in the high-frequency (250–1000 Hz) band between the sensory cortex and the frontal lobe.
• The results of quantitative analysis of graph theory showed that the patients had:

1. an increased degree of connectivity in the theta (4–8 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands;
2. an increased connectivity strength in the beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands;
3. an increased path length in the beta (13–30 Hz), gamma (30–80 Hz) and ripple (80–250 Hz) bands; and
4. an increased clustering coefficient in the theta (4–8 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands.

Ren J, Xiang J, Chen Y, li F, Wu T, Shi J. Abnormal functional connectivity under somatosensory stimulation in migraine: A multi-frequency magnetoencephalography study. J Headache Pain. 2019;20(1):3. doi:10.1186/s10194-019-0958-3.

Migraine is associated with aberrant connections from the somatosensory cortex to the frontal lobe, according to a recent study. The frequency-specific increases in connectivity in terms of strength, path length, and clustering coefficients support the notion that migraineurs have elevated cortical networks. Twenty-two migraineurs in the interictal phase and 22 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers were studied using a whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) system. Researchers found:

• The brain network patterns revealed that the patients with migraine exhibited remarkably increased functional connectivity in the high-frequency (250–1000 Hz) band between the sensory cortex and the frontal lobe.
• The results of quantitative analysis of graph theory showed that the patients had:

1. an increased degree of connectivity in the theta (4–8 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands;
2. an increased connectivity strength in the beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands;
3. an increased path length in the beta (13–30 Hz), gamma (30–80 Hz) and ripple (80–250 Hz) bands; and
4. an increased clustering coefficient in the theta (4–8 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands.

Ren J, Xiang J, Chen Y, li F, Wu T, Shi J. Abnormal functional connectivity under somatosensory stimulation in migraine: A multi-frequency magnetoencephalography study. J Headache Pain. 2019;20(1):3. doi:10.1186/s10194-019-0958-3.