Altered neurochemical coupling in the occipital cortex in migraine with visual aura.
Title | Altered neurochemical coupling in the occipital cortex in migraine with visual aura. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2015 |
Authors | Bridge H, Stagg CJ, Near J, Lau C-ieong, Zisner A, M Cader Z |
Journal | Cephalalgia |
Volume | 35 |
Issue | 11 |
Pagination | 1025-30 |
Date Published | 2015 Oct |
ISSN | 1468-2982 |
Abstract | BACKGROUND: Visual aura is present in about one-third of migraine patients and triggering by bright or flickering lights is frequently reported.METHOD: Using migraine with visual aura patients, we investigated the neurochemical profile of the visual cortex using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Specifically, glutamate/creatine and GABA/creatine ratios were quantified in the occipital cortex of female migraine patients.RESULTS: GABA levels in the occipital cortex of migraine patients were lower than that of controls. Glutamate levels in migraine patients, but not controls, correlated with the blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the primary visual cortex during visual stimulation.CONCLUSION: Migraine with visual aura appears to disrupt the excitation-inhibition coupling in the occipital cortex. |
DOI | 10.1177/0333102414566860 |
Alternate Journal | Cephalalgia |
PubMed ID | 25631169 |
Grant List | 102584 / / Wellcome Trust / United Kingdom / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom |