Functional Neuroimaging in Migraine

편두통의 기능적 뇌영상

Functional neuroimaging, especially positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is the main tool that allows the unveiling of the neurovascular events during a migraine attack. In migraine with aura, functional neuroimaging has contributed greatly to the understanding of the fundamental pathophysiology of the visual aura, whereas in migraine without aura, the PET findings of brainstem activation suggest a pivotal role of brainstem in the generation of migraine headache. In addition, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) method has provided an insight into the morphometric changes of the brain, which might be considered as a consequence of repeated migraine attacks. In this article, I will briefly discuss the main neuroimaging findings pertaining to the pathophysiology of migraine.