Central effects of erenumab in migraine patients: An event-related functional imaging study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Central effects of erenumab in migraine patients: An event-related functional imaging study

AU - Ziegeler, Christian

AU - Mehnert, Jan

AU - Asmussen, Katharina

AU - May, Arne

N1 - © 2020 American Academy of Neurology.

PY - 2020/11/17

Y1 - 2020/11/17

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether erenumab, a new monoclonal antibody to the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor, exerts functional central effects in migraineurs by performing functional imaging scans on patients treated with erenumab.METHODS: We conducted an fMRI study on 27 patients with migraine using a well-established trigeminal nociceptive paradigm, examining patients before and 2 weeks after administration of the CGRP receptor antibody erenumab 70 mg.RESULTS: Comparing both visit days in all patients (n = 27) revealed that erenumab leads to a decrease in activation in the right thalamus (i.e., contralateral to the stimulated side), right middle temporal gyrus, right lingual gyrus, left operculum, and several clusters on both sides of the cerebellum. Furthermore, when responders (n = 9) and nonresponders (n = 8) of the respective same headache state were compared, we found a significant reduction of hypothalamic activation after the administration of erenumab in responders only (t = 4.78; contrast estimate 29.79 [90% confidence interval 19.53-40.05]). This finding of reduced hypothalamic activation was confirmed when absolute headache days was used as a regressor.INTERPRETATION: These findings suggest that erenumab may not be an exclusively peripheral migraine treatment but has additional central effects. Whether this is due to secondary changes after peripheral modulation of sensory input or indeed represents a direct central mode of action is discussed.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether erenumab, a new monoclonal antibody to the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor, exerts functional central effects in migraineurs by performing functional imaging scans on patients treated with erenumab.METHODS: We conducted an fMRI study on 27 patients with migraine using a well-established trigeminal nociceptive paradigm, examining patients before and 2 weeks after administration of the CGRP receptor antibody erenumab 70 mg.RESULTS: Comparing both visit days in all patients (n = 27) revealed that erenumab leads to a decrease in activation in the right thalamus (i.e., contralateral to the stimulated side), right middle temporal gyrus, right lingual gyrus, left operculum, and several clusters on both sides of the cerebellum. Furthermore, when responders (n = 9) and nonresponders (n = 8) of the respective same headache state were compared, we found a significant reduction of hypothalamic activation after the administration of erenumab in responders only (t = 4.78; contrast estimate 29.79 [90% confidence interval 19.53-40.05]). This finding of reduced hypothalamic activation was confirmed when absolute headache days was used as a regressor.INTERPRETATION: These findings suggest that erenumab may not be an exclusively peripheral migraine treatment but has additional central effects. Whether this is due to secondary changes after peripheral modulation of sensory input or indeed represents a direct central mode of action is discussed.

U2 - 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010740

DO - 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010740

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 32917805

VL - 95

SP - e2794-e2802

JO - NEUROLOGY

JF - NEUROLOGY

SN - 0028-3878

IS - 20

ER -