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Aberrant Spontaneous Low-Frequency Brain Activity in Migraine: A Meta-Analysis of Resting-State fMRI Studies

Chen Q, Liu Y, Yang X, Li B, Liu L

Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging, 2025

708 participants

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Resting-state functional MRI has revealed abnormal brain activity in patients with migraine, though findings have been inconsistent. This meta-analysis utilized Seed-based d Mapping to assess variations in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF). The aim was to identify common brain regions with altered spontaneous brain activity in migraine patients.

METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for studies published up to August 2023, comparing spontaneous low-frequency brain activity between migraine patients and healthy controls (HCs). Jackknife sensitivity, heterogeneity, publication bias, and meta-regression analyses were performed to ensure the robustness and reliability of our findings.

RESULTS: Nine studies, including 708 migraine patients and HCs, were included in the analysis. Applying a highly conservative family-wise error rate correction, no significant findings were observed. However, when a less conservative threshold was used, migraine patients exhibited increased ALFF/fALFF in the left anterior thalamus and the corticospinal tract but showed decreased values in the right middle frontal gyrus. Jackknife sensitivity analysis confirmed the reproducibility of these results, while heterogeneity analysis revealed significant variability across studies, likely due to differences in study design and patient populations.

CONCLUSIONS: This…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 708 participants or records.

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