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Papers of the Week


Papers: 23 Mar 2019 - 29 Mar 2019


Animal Studies

PAIN TYPE:
Migraine/Headache


2019 Jan-Dec


Mol Pain


15

Atypical functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and other brain regions in a Rat Model of Recurrent Headache.

Authors

Abstract

We explored the atypical functional connectivity (FC) between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and other brain areas in rats subjected to repeated meningeal nociception. The rat model was established by infusing an inflammatory soup (IS) through supradural catheters in conscious rats. Rats were subdivided according to the frequency of the IS infusions. FC analysis seeded on the ACC was performed on rats 21 days after IS infusion. Glyceryl trinitrate was injected following baseline scanning in the low-frequency IS (LF-IS) group and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired 1 hour after the injection. The rats exhibited nociceptive behavior after high-frequency IS (HF-IS) infusion. The ACC showed increased FC with the cerebellum in the IS groups. The medulla showed increased FC with the ACC in the ictal period in the LF-IS rats. Several areas showed increased FC with the ACC in the HF-IS group, including the pontine tegmentum, midbrain, thalamus, corpus callosum, hippocampus, and retrosplenial, visual, sensory, and motor cortices. This study indicated that the medulla participates in the early stage of a migraine attack and may be associated with the initiation of migraine. Sensitization of the trigeminal nociceptive pathway might contribute to the cutaneous allodynia seen in chronic migraine. Brain areas important for memory function may be related to the chronification of migraine. Electrophysiological studies should examine those migraine-related areas and provide new targets for migraine treatment and prevention.