Faculty Collaboration Database

Global cerebral blood flow, blood volume, and oxygen metabolism in patients with migraine headache. Neurology 1998 Jun;50(6):1736-40

Date

06/20/1998

Pubmed ID

9633719

DOI

10.1212/wnl.50.6.1736

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0031747568 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   88 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Migraine headaches with and without aura are representative of vascular headache states traditionally thought to be mediated by alterations in vascular tone. Validation of this theory has been hampered in part by technical difficulties inherent in the measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF). The purpose of this study was to compare CBF measured during migraine and migraine-free states using PET.

METHODS: Patients with a minimum of one migraine headache without aura per month (International Headache Society [IHS] criteria) underwent measurement of CBF, cerebral blood volume (CBV), oxygen extraction, and metabolism during an episode of spontaneous migraine headache. Imaging was repeated during a migraine-free period of at least 48 hours. PET radiotracers used were: CBF, H(2)15O; CBV, C15O; oxygen metabolism, 15O2.

RESULTS: In nine patients (seven female and two male), global CBF (mL/min/100 g [SD]) was measured as 52.70 (6.9) during migraine and 59.65 (10.6) in the migraine-free state; p=0.028. CBV (mL/100 g [SD]) was 3.6 (0.43) during the symptomatic state and 3.8 (0.55) after the migraine; p=0.047. Oxygen metabolism (mL/min/100 g [SD]) was 3.68 (0.9) during migraine and 3.38 (1.02) without headache; p=0.211. The oxygen extraction ratio was 0.48 (0.15) and 0.41 (0.12) during migraine and migraine-free states, respectively; p=0.132.

CONCLUSIONS: In patients experiencing migraine without aura, CBF and CBV are reduced during the headache phase. Cerebral oxygen metabolism and oxygen extraction are not significantly affected.

Author List

Bednarczyk EM, Remler B, Weikart C, Nelson AD, Reed RC

Author

Bernd F. Remler MD Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Blood Volume
Cerebrovascular Circulation
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Migraine Disorders
Oxygen Consumption
Tomography, Emission-Computed