‘Migraine Linked to
Structural Brain Changes’ by Pauline
Anderson for Medscape on Aug 28, 2013:
A new
literature review confirms that compared with patients without migraine, those
with migraine have more white matter abnormalitiies (WMAs), infarct-like
lesions (ILLs), and volumetric changes in gray and white matter regions of the
brain, although the cllnical and functional significance of these lesions is
still uncertain.
The
analysis showed that the association between migraine and structural changes in
the brain is stronger among those who experience migraine with aura.
The
results challenge the widely accepted notion that migraine is a benign primary
headache with no long-term consequences or sequelae for the brain.
"Our
study, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis, suggests the opposite:
that this primary headache disorder may permanently change the brain
structure," said author Sait Ashina, MD, headache program director, Beth
Israel Medical Center, and assistant professor, neurology and anesthesiology,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York.
However,
Dr. Ashina cautioned that not all the evidence is in yet and that prospective
longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the influence of migraine on brain
structure.
The study
was published online August 28 more …
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