Glymphatic Dysfunction in High-Frequency Episodic Migraine: Evidence From DTI-ALPS and Exploratory White Matter Analysis.

This research studied glymphatic function and white matter changes in migraines. Researchers looked at 31 healthy people and 71 migraine patients. Among the patients, 44 had low-frequency episodic migraine (LFEM) and 27 had high-frequency episodic migraine (HFEM). They used advanced imaging techniques to assess glymphatic function. Results showed that glymphatic function was better in LFEM than in HFEM. Higher attack frequency was linked to lower glymphatic function. There was also a trend showing that higher attack frequency led to more disability. The study suggests that how often migraines occur may influence brain fluid flow and related symptoms. No significant differences were found in white matter integrity between groups. Overall, this research highlights potential biological differences in how migraines affect the brain based on frequency. Clinical relevance: This study suggests that understanding glymphatic function may help improve migraine treatments.