Interictal cortical reorganization in episodic migraine without aura: an event-related fMRI study during parametric trigeminal nociceptive stimulation

The aim of our study was to explore the pain processing network in patients with migraine during trigeminal nociceptive stimulation. Sixteen patients with episodic migraine without aura and 16 healthy controls performed functional magnetic resonance imaging during thermal stimuli (at 41, 51 and 53A degrees C). Patients with migraine showed a greater activation in the perigenual part of anterior cingulate cortex at 51A degrees C and less activation in the bilateral somatosensory cortex at 53A degrees C compared to healthy controls. There were no differences in experimental pain perception between groups. Our findings demonstrate a functional reorganization of cerebral areas known to be involved in pain processing in patients with migraine.