Structural and Functional Reorganization of the Brain in Migraine Without Aura

It remains unknown whether migraine headache has a progressive component in its pathophysiology. Quantitative MRI may provide valuable insight into abnormal changes in the migraine interictum and assist in identifying disrupted brain networks. We carried out a data-driven study of structural integrity and functional connectivity of the resting brain in migraine without aura. MRI scanning was performed in 36 patients suffering from episodic migraine without aura and 33 age-matched healthy subjects. Voxel-wise analysis of regional brain volume was performed by registration of the T1-weighted MRI scans into a common study brain template using the tensor-based morphometry (TBM) method. Changes in functional synchronicity of the brain networks were assessed using probabilistic independent component analysis (ICA). TBM revealed that migraine is associated with reduced volume of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Among 375 functional brain networks, resting-state connectivity was decreased between two components spanning the visual cortex, posterior insula, and parietal somatosensory cortex. Our study reveals structural and functional alterations of the brain in the migraine interictum that may stem from underlying disease risk factors and the “silent” aura phenomenon. Longitudinal studies will be needed to investigate whether interictal brain changes are progressive and associated with clinical disease trajectories

Structural and functional reorganization of the brain in migraine without aura

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Association of passive and active smoking with self-rated health and life satisfaction in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN IV study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the joint association of passive and active smoking with self-rated health and life satisfaction among Iranian children and adolescents. METHODS: Using a multistage random cluster sampling method, a representative sample of 14 880 school students were selected from urban and rural areas of 30 provinces of Iran. Data were gathered using a questionnaire, a weight scale and metre. Participants were classified into four groups based on their smoking patterns: \u27non-smoker\u27, \u27only active smoker\u27, \u27only passive smoker\u27 and \u27active and passive smoker\u27. Life satisfaction (LS) and self-rated health (SRH) were assessed by self-administered validated questionnaires based on the WHO-Global School-based student Health Survey (WHO-GSHS). Data were analysed using a t-test, χ test and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 13 486 individuals (6640 girls and 6846 boys) out of 14 880 invited participated in the study (response rate 90.6%). LS and good SRH showed linearly negative associations with smoking status in both sexes. The proportions of LS and SRH categories were significantly different among all subsets of smoking status. Those classified as \u27non-smokers\u27 had the highest proportions of LS and good SRH, followed by \u27only passive smokers\u27 and \u27only active smokers\u27, while those with \u27active and passive smoking\u27 had the lowest proportions of LS and good SRH. In a multivariate model, students in the \u27active and passive smoking\u27 group had lower odds of LS (OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.57) and good SRH (OR 0.51; 95% CI 0.38 to 0.68) than those in the \u27non-smoker\u27 group. Students in the \u27only passive smoker\u27 group also had lower odds of LS (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.67 to 0.83) and good SRH (OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.80) compared with the \u27non-smoker\u27 group. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with different smoking habits and exposure patterns have poorer SRH and LS than non-smokers. Both active and passive smoking status could affect LS and SRH in adolescents. Therefore, smoking prevention strategies should be considered as a health priority in school health services for promoting psychological well-being in children and adolescents

Mean (SD) of cardiometabolic values according to ST, PA and joint associations of ST and PA categories: The CASPIAN III study.

<p>Mean (SD) of cardiometabolic values according to ST, PA and joint associations of ST and PA categories: The CASPIAN III study.</p

Demographic characteristics and anthropometric measures according to sexes: The CASPIAN III study.

<p>Demographic characteristics and anthropometric measures according to sexes: The CASPIAN III study.</p

Odds ratios (95% CI) for cardiometabolic risk factors according to joint associations of ST and PA categories: The CASPIAN III study.

<p>Odds ratios (95% CI) for cardiometabolic risk factors according to joint associations of ST and PA categories: The CASPIAN III study.</p