Aberrant activation within auditory network is associated with psychiatric comorbidities in interictal migraineurs without aura

Background: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has confirmed auditory network dysfunction in migraine without aura (MwoA). Epidemiological investigations have disclosed that migraine is comorbid with many psychiatric symptoms. However, the underlying mechanisms of auditory cortex dysfunction linked to psychiatric disorders in MwoA remain unclear. The present study aimed to explore associations between brain activation in the auditory cortex and clinical and psychiatric characteristics in patients with MwoA during interictal periods. Methods: : Resting-state data were acquired from patients with episodic MwoA (n=34) and healthy controls (n=30). Independent component analysis was used to extract and calculate the resting-state auditory network. Subsequently, we analyzed the correlations between spontaneous activation in the auditory cortex and clinical and psychiatric features in MwoA. Results: : Compared with healthy controls, patients with MwoA showed increased activation in the left auditory cortex (i.e., superior temporal gyrus (STG), postcentral gyrus (PoCG) and insula). Brain activation in the left STG was positively correlated with anxiety scores, and activation in the left PoCG was negatively correlated with anxiety and depression scores. No significant differences were found in intracranial volume between the two groups. Conclusions: : This study indicated that functional impairment and altered integration within the auditory cortex existed in patients with MwoA in the interictal period, suggesting that auditory cortex disruption as a biomarker may be implemented for the early diagnosis and prediction of neuropsychiatric impairment in MwoA.