Statistical shape analysis of the corpus callosum and the cerebellum in migraine patients

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the shape differences in the corpus callosum and cerebellum of migraine patients compared with healthy controls and to assess whether migraine attack frequency and disease duration are indicators for brain abnormalities in migrain cases. Material and Methods: This study included magnetic resonance imaging scans of 25 control subjects and 38 migraine patients. The data were obtained from the coordinate of landmarks analyzed with statistical shape analysis. A generalized Procrustes analysis was used to investigate shape differences. Witelson subdivision was used to further assess the regional shape differences in corpus callosum. Results: The shape of the corpus callsoum in controls was significantly different from the shape in migraine patients. Migraine patients had deformations in corpus callosum compared to control patients where the most prominent deformations were seen in the posterior midbody of corpus callosum. According to Witelson subdivions deformation in in the rostral body was less prominent. There was no global or regional shape difference between patients with migraine and controls for cerebellum. No significant correlation was recognized between the size and disease duration or frequency of migraine attacks, both for corpus callosum and cerebellum. Conclusion: The data suggest that migraine sufferers have global structural changes in corpus callosum but not in cerebellum, and that deformations did not vary with the disease progress. © 2013 by Türkiye Klinikleri.