EAN 2021 | Lessons learned from neuroimaging in migraine

Neuroimaging studies have provided new and valuable insights into the pathophysiology of migraine. Roberta Messina, MD, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, discusses the lessons learned from neuroimaging in migraine. Due to advanced imaging techniques, it is now widely accepted that migraine is not a simple disease of recurrent pain attacks associated with vascular changes but a complex neurological disorder involving different brain networks. Imaging studies have shown that different brain areas are activated during the distinct phases of the migraine attack, which might explain the various symptoms patients experience during the migraine cycle. Neuroimaging studies investigating the central mechanism of action of acute and preventive migraine treatments and identifying imaging patterns associated with severe forms of the disease are underway. This interview took place during the European Academy of Neurology 2021 congress.