Cerebral sodium (23Na) magnetic resonance imaging in patients with migraine - a case-control study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cerebral sodium (23Na) magnetic resonance imaging in patients with migraine - a case-control study

AU - Meyer, Melissa M

AU - Schmidt, Alexander

AU - Benrath, Justus

AU - Konstandin, Simon

AU - Pilz, Lothar R

AU - Harrington, Michael G

AU - Budjan, Johannes

AU - Meyer, Mathias

AU - Schad, Lothar R

AU - Schoenberg, Stefan O

AU - Haneder, Stefan

PY - 2019/12

Y1 - 2019/12

N2 - OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of MRI-derived cerebral 23Na concentrations in patients with migraine in comparison with healthy controls.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 24 female migraine patients (mean age, 34 ± 11 years) were enrolled after evaluation of standardized questionnaires. Half (n = 12) of the cohort suffered from migraine, the other half was impaired by both migraine and tension-type headaches (TTH). The combined patient cohort was matched to 12 healthy female controls (mean age, 34 ± 11 years). All participants underwent a cerebral 23Na-magnetic resonance imaging examination at 3.0 T, which included a T1w MP-RAGE sequence and a 3D density-adapted, radial gradient echo sequence for 23Na imaging. Circular regions of interests were placed in predetermined anatomic regions: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), gray and white matter, brain stem, and cerebellum. External 23Na reference phantoms were used to calculate the total 23Na tissue concentrations. Pearson's correlation, Kendall Tau, and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for statistical analysis.RESULTS: 23Na concentrations of all patients in the CSF were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p < 0.001). The CSF of both the migraine and mixed migraine/TTH group showed significantly increased sodium concentrations compared to the control group (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001). Within the patient cohort, a positive correlation between pain level and TSC in the CSF (r = 0.62) could be observed.CONCLUSION: MRI-derived cerebral 23Na concentrations in the CSF of migraine patients were found to be statistically significantly higher than in healthy controls.KEY POINTS: • Cerebral sodium MRI supports the theory of ionic imbalances and may aid in the challenging pathophysiologic understanding of migraine. • Case-control study shows significantly higher sodium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of migraineurs. • Cerebral sodium MRI may become a non-invasive imaging tool for drugs to modulate sodium, and hence migraine, on a molecular level, and influence patient management.

AB - OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of MRI-derived cerebral 23Na concentrations in patients with migraine in comparison with healthy controls.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 24 female migraine patients (mean age, 34 ± 11 years) were enrolled after evaluation of standardized questionnaires. Half (n = 12) of the cohort suffered from migraine, the other half was impaired by both migraine and tension-type headaches (TTH). The combined patient cohort was matched to 12 healthy female controls (mean age, 34 ± 11 years). All participants underwent a cerebral 23Na-magnetic resonance imaging examination at 3.0 T, which included a T1w MP-RAGE sequence and a 3D density-adapted, radial gradient echo sequence for 23Na imaging. Circular regions of interests were placed in predetermined anatomic regions: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), gray and white matter, brain stem, and cerebellum. External 23Na reference phantoms were used to calculate the total 23Na tissue concentrations. Pearson's correlation, Kendall Tau, and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for statistical analysis.RESULTS: 23Na concentrations of all patients in the CSF were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p < 0.001). The CSF of both the migraine and mixed migraine/TTH group showed significantly increased sodium concentrations compared to the control group (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001). Within the patient cohort, a positive correlation between pain level and TSC in the CSF (r = 0.62) could be observed.CONCLUSION: MRI-derived cerebral 23Na concentrations in the CSF of migraine patients were found to be statistically significantly higher than in healthy controls.KEY POINTS: • Cerebral sodium MRI supports the theory of ionic imbalances and may aid in the challenging pathophysiologic understanding of migraine. • Case-control study shows significantly higher sodium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of migraineurs. • Cerebral sodium MRI may become a non-invasive imaging tool for drugs to modulate sodium, and hence migraine, on a molecular level, and influence patient management.

KW - Adult

KW - Case-Control Studies

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Migraine Disorders/diagnosis

KW - Phantoms, Imaging

KW - Sodium/pharmacology

KW - White Matter/pathology

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1007/s00330-019-06299-1

DO - 10.1007/s00330-019-06299-1

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 31264011

VL - 29

SP - 7055

EP - 7062

JO - EUR RADIOL

JF - EUR RADIOL

SN - 0938-7994

IS - 12

ER -