Evidence for brain glial activity in chronic migraine patients: a [11C] PBR28 PET/MR study.

Purpose: Although neuroinflammation may play a key role in the pathology of migraine and its progression to chronic migraine (CM), its specific involvement-particularly the role of microglia- remains unclear. We investigated whether neuroinflammation is involved in the pathophysiology of CM and whet...

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Published in:European Journal of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Vol. 52; no. 11; pp. 4334 - 4345
Main Authors: Chang, Yan, Zhang, Xiwan, Xiao, Shaobo, Liu, Jiajin, Wang, Yuan, Song, Jingbin, Fu, Huaping, Li, Yungang, Su, Hui, Yi, Huijie, Su, Wenjie, Gao, Nan, Zhao, JinJing, Wang, Ruimin, Liu, Ruozhuo
Format: Journal Article
Published: Springer Nature Sep2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Sep2025
      vid: 52
      iid: 11
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        187672859
        184968122
        10.1007/s00259-025-07282-3
        187672859
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        atl: Evidence for brain glial activity in chronic migraine patients: a [11C] PBR28 PET/MR study.
      aug:
        au:
          Chang, Yan
          Zhang, Xiwan
          Xiao, Shaobo
          Liu, Jiajin
          Wang, Yuan
          Song, Jingbin
          Fu, Huaping
          Li, Yungang
          Su, Hui
          Yi, Huijie
          Su, Wenjie
          Gao, Nan
          Zhao, JinJing
          Wang, Ruimin
          Liu, Ruozhuo
        affil: https://ror.org/05tf9r976 Medical School of Chinese PLA, 100853, Beijing, China
      sug:
      ab: Purpose: Although neuroinflammation may play a key role in the pathology of migraine and its progression to chronic migraine (CM), its specific involvement-particularly the role of microglia- remains unclear. We investigated whether neuroinflammation is involved in the pathophysiology of CM and whether pro-inflammatory signals are associated with its clinical features. Methods: Nineteen individuals with CM and 10 healthy controls (HCs) underwent integrated brain positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) using the translocator protein (TSPO) radioligand ([11C] PBR28, a marker of glial activation, together with the quantification of blood plasma inflammatory cytokine/chemokine. Volumes in regions of interest (ROI) were calculated based on MRI data and the standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) for [11C] PBR28 was extracted for each ROI. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between [11C] PBR28 SUVR and changes in plasma factors was calculated. Results: CM patients had a significantly higher Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores than that in HCs (p < 0.05). Participants with CM also exhibited reduced volume in the thalamus (p = 0.012), compared with HCs. Moreover [11C] PBR28 binding was increased in the midbrain, occipital lobe and vermis, along with increased interictal plasma interleukin-8 (IL-8) and CX3CL1 levels, in individuals with CM compared with HCs. Notably, the midbrain levels of TSPO were negatively correlated with the headache frequency (r=-0.462, p = 0.046). Conclusions: These findings demonstrate increased central inflammation in CM participants compared to HCs, providing imaging evidence for the potential involvement of neuroinflammation in CM pathophysiology. Additionally, the observed reduction in thalamic volume may contribute to the chronification of migraine. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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