Andrew Prescot1, Lino Becerra2, Gautam Pendse2, Shannon Tully2, Eric Jensen1, Perry Renshaw1, Rami Burstein3, David Borsook2
1Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; 2P.A.I.N Group, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; 3Department of Anesthesia, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Differences in excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter levels and/or their derivatives may exist in migraine patients based on their increased sensitivity to pain. 2D J-resolved 1H-MRS data were acquired on a 4.0 Tesla system from the anterior cingulate cortex and insula in migraine patients and controls. Standard statistical analysis showed no significant metabolite differences between the two subject cohorts. Linear discriminant analysis introduced a separation between subject cohorts based on N-acetyl-aspartylglutamate (NAAG) and glutamine (Gln). These results are consistent with glutamatergic abnormalities in the ACC and insula in migraine patients during their interictal period compared to healthy controls.
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