Cerebral and cerebellar ADC values during a migraine attack

• Published in: Neuroradiology 2007-05, Vol.49 (5), p.419-426
• Main Authors: DEGIRMENCI, Bumin, YAMAN, Mehmet, HAKTANIR, Alpay, ALBAYRAK, Ramazan, ACAR, Murat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Brain - pathology; Cardiovascular system; Cerebellum; Cerebral Infarction - diagnosis; Cerebral Ventricles - pathology; Diffusion; Diffusion coefficient; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Dominance, Cerebral - physiology; Female; Headache; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Lesions; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Migraine; Migraine with Aura - diagnosis; Migraine without Aura - diagnosis; Miscellaneous; Mood disorders; Nervous system; Neurology; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Radiology; Reference Values; Risk Factors; Substantia alba
• ISSN: 0028-3940; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s00234-006-0201-1

We investigated the diffusion-weighted MRI changes, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, and conventional MRI findings in specific brain areas during migraine attacks in patients with and without aura. Included in the study were 22 patients (2 male, 20 female) aged between 17 and 49 years who were diagnosed as having migraine according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society. Also included in the study were 18 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Hyperintense lesions were evaluated in conventional MR images. Heavily diffusion-weighted images, ADC maps, and segmented ADC maps generated for regional ADC (rADC) measurements, were also studied. ADC values from specific brain areas were used with appropriate region of interests (ROI). Migraine with aura was diagnosed in 13 patients and migraine without aura was diagnosed in 9 patients. A total of 23 hyperintense lesions within the periventricular white matter and deep white matter were detected in five patients (21.8%). All of these hyperintense lesions were seen in migraine patients with aura. In only one patient did a hyperintense lesion show an increased diffusion pattern on diffusion-weighted images and ADC maps. One hyperintense lesion was detected in the control group (5.5%). There was no significant difference in ADC values between the migraine and control groups. T2-weighted hyperintense lesions were significantly more frequent in migraine patients especially in those with aura than in the control group. No diffusion alterations in diffusion-weighted images were detected in the infra- and supratentorial brain areas during migraine attacks in patients with and without aura.