• Paola Tortorella, Maria A Rocca, Bruno Colombo, Pietro Annovazzi, Giancarlo Comi, and Massimo Filippi.
• Neuroimaging Research Unit, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
• J. Neurol. Sci. 2006 May 15;244(1-2):137-41.

BackgroundIn patients with migraine, functional changes have been described in the red nucleus (RN), substantia nigra (SN) and periaqueductal gray matter (PAG).PurposeTo evaluate whether and at which frequency these structures are involved by MRI-detectable structural abnormalities in migraineurs and to investigate the pathogenic role of these abnormalities by assessing their frequency and extent in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and migraine.MethodsOn brain dual-echo scans obtained from 58 migraineurs (40 without and 18 with aura), 37 MS patients with migraine without aura and 42 MS patients without migraine, the presence of hyperintense lesions involving the brainstem structures was recorded. A test of heterogeneity between groups was used to compare the presence of lesions among patient groups.ResultsLesions of RN, SN and PAG were found in all patient groups, with frequency from 57.5% to 86.5%. Significant between-group differences for all these regions were found. No difference was found between migraine patients with and without aura. Compared with MS patients without migraine, MS patients with migraine had more significant involvement of the SN (p=0.02) and RN (p<0.0001). Compared with migraine patients, MS patients with migraine had more significant involvement of the SN and PAG (p ranging from 0.009 to 0.02).ConclusionsT2-visible lesions in the brainstem are frequent in patients with migraine, but do not seem to be associated with the presence of aura. Demyelinating lesions in the RN, SN and PAG might be among the factors responsible for the presence of migraine in patients with MS.

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