Imaging of Migraine and Vestibular Migraine

Recent advancements in neuroimaging have improved our understanding of migraine pathophysiology. Migraine patients exhibit abnormal function and structure in key cortical, subcortical, and brainstem regions involved in multisensory processing, including pain, during both acute attacks and interictal periods. Neuroimaging studies of vestibular migraine, although limited in number, provide preliminary insights into its underlying mechanisms. Notably, functional and structural alterations observed in vestibular migraine patients show a striking resemblance to those reported in migraine. Additionally, brain regions crucial for vestibular control exhibit abnormalities in both structure and function in vestibular migraine patients. These findings suggest that vestibular migraine may represent a convergence between migraine pathophysiology and dysfunction within the vestibular pathways. However, further research is necessary to elucidate the complexities of vestibular migraine pathophysiology.