Abstract:
Objective: To investigate alterations in glymphatic system function and correlate them with clinical indicators in patients with migraine without aura (MwoA). Methods: A total of 50 MwoA patients and 49 matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. Imaging data were acquired using 3.0T MRI. The differences in diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index and the coupling strength of global blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflow dynamics (gBOLD-CSF) were calculated between the two groups to evaluate the glymphatic system function in MwoA patients; their correlations with clinical scale scores were further analyzed. Results: Compared with healthy controls, MwoA patients exhibited significantly lower left-sided DTI-ALPS index, reduced gBOLD-CSF coupling strength, and diminished -d (gBOLD)/d
t-CSF coupling strength. Additionally, the left-sided ALPS index was negatively correlated with the Beck Anxiety Inventory score. Conclusion: MwoA patients demonstrate impaired glymphatic system function, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of migraine and be associated with anxiety symptoms. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying migraine.