Brain activity and autonomic regulation in untreated migraine patients

Abstract

Background

Migraine causes intense pain, significant disability, deficits in attention and memory, slowed information processing, and cognitive disorders. However, it is unclear how migraine, cardiovascular, and cerebral issues impact daily life or relate to future adverse events.

Objective

To evaluate the brain activity and autonomic regulation in untreated migraine patients.

Methods

In the present case-control study, we compared untreated migraine patients with healthy controls. The participants underwent cognitive testing (Stroop Color Test, Trail Making Test, Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination, and Reaction Time Test), brain activity measurement (MindWave Mobile), and autonomic regulation assessment via heart rate variability (Polar V800).

Results

No differences were found between the groups in terms of cognitive test scores. However, the healthy controls consistently showed increased variation in brain activity during the cognitive tests, while migraine patients exhibited decreased activity across all tests (p < 0.05). During the Stroop Color Test, the controls showed a positive change in brain activity (Δ = 5.12 ± 3.64) while the migraine patients showed a negative change (Δ = −5.41 ± 2.21). In addition, the control group demonstrated a normal autonomic response, with increased sympathetic activity (low-frequency [LF] band: 70.2–84.4 Hz) and decreased parasympathetic activity (high-frequency [HF] band: 29.6–15.6 Hz) during cognitive tasks (p < 0.05). In contrast, the migraine group showed imbalanced autonomic regulation, characterized by minimal changes in both sympathetic (LF band: 74.0–74.8 Hz) and parasympathetic activity (HF band: 25.9–25.1 Hz) (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Despite the similar cognitive test scores, migraine patients exhibited reduced variation in brain activity during cognitive tests and an imbalanced autonomic regulation, characterized by decreased sympathetic activity and increased parasympathetic activity.

Keywords

Migraine Disorders - Brain Mapping - Heart Rate - Autonomic Nervous System

Authors' Contributions

Conceptualization: MKR, MOVR, JSCN, MFO; Data curation: IOM, JN; Formal analysis: MKR, MOVR, JSCN, MFO, IOM, JN; Methodology: MKR, MOVR, MFO; Project administration: MKR, MOVR, JSCN, MFO; Supervision: MFO; Writing - original draft: IOM, JN; Writing - review & editing: MKR, MOVR, JSCN, MFO.

Editor-in-Chief: Hélio A. G. Teive 0000-0003-2305-1073.

Associate Editor: Pedro Augusto Sampaio Rocha Filho 0000-0001-5725-2637.

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 20. November 2024

Angenommen: 16. Februar 2025

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
17. Juni 2025

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