Evaluation of headache and regional cerebral flood flow in patients with migraine.

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT: The aim of this study is to observe the abnormalities of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in migraine patients and to evaluate its relation to the severity of the headache in patients with migraine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The rCBF imaging was done on 19 patients with migraine and 15 normal controls using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The abnormal character of cerebral perfusion function was analyzed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) software, and the headache grade of patients was evaluated with the headache severity measuring scale. RESULTS: The results of SPM analysis demonstrated a decreased rCBF on both sides of the frontal and temporal lobes, left parietal lobe, and right occipital lobe (P < 0.001), and increased rCBF focus on the left prefrontal lobe and right temporal lobe (P < 0.001). The headache scores in migraineurs were correlated to the rCBF on the bilateral temporal lobes and right frontal lobe (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The migraineurs had lower rCBF at the frontal and temporal lobes, and the lower rCBF was correlated to the degree of headache.