Image analysis of cerebral white matter fiber for the patients with chronic headache

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K10306
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Shibata Yasushi 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 教授 (50400685)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松下 明 茨城県立医療大学, 保健医療学部, 講師 (80532481)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: headache / MRI / diffusion tensor imaging

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We performed 3-month acupucture therapy for the patients with chronic headache, and investigated DTI and rsfMRI before and after 3-month course of acupuncture. Clinical headaches symptom was significantly improved for most patients. FA was decreased after acupucture therapy for the patients with migraine without aura. In comparison with healthy control, migraine patients demonstrated significantly increased FA, and this increased FA decreased after the acupuncture therapy. rsfMRI study demonstrated significantly decreased functional connectivity at wide area of brain for the patients with migraine after acupuncture therapy. For the patients with tension-type headache, both of DTI and rsfMRI changes were not observed. In the patients with migraine, central sensitization was detected with DTI and rsfMRI. The intervention for this central sensitization may be the mechanism of acupuncture to improve clinical headache in migraine, but not tension-type headache.

Free Research Field

臨床神経学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、同一施設で同一撮像条件で慢性頭痛と正常データを十分に比較した研究であり、慢性頭痛におけるDTI, rsfMRIの意義を明確にするものである。慢性頭痛、薬物乱用頭痛、精神疾患の合併の病態は依然不明であり、病態解明、診断治療へ大きく貢献が期待できる。MRIは臨床現場に広く普及しており、MRIで片頭痛の診断や鍼治療が有効な患者群が特定できれば、補助診断法、客観的biomakerとして有用となる。