Morelli Nicola, Pesaresi Ilaria, Cafforio Gianfranco, Maluccio Maria Rosaria, Gori Sara, Di Salle Francesco, Murri Luigi
University Centre for Adaptive Disorders and Headache (UCADH), Institute of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
J Headache Pain. 2009 Feb;10(1):11-4. doi: 10.1007/s10194-008-0085-z. Epub 2008 Dec 16.
We have investigated the cerebral activation centre in four patients with episodic cluster headache (CH) with functional magnetic resonance imaging (f-MRI). The patients underwent MRI scans for anatomical and functional data acquisition in the asymptomatic state, during a headache attack and after subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan. Anatomical images were acquired by means of 3D-MPRAGE sequences and f-MRI images were obtained by means of echo-planar imaging. Data was analysed using the BrainVoyager QX version 1.7.81 software package. In all patients, the data showed significant hypothalamic activation of the hypothalamus ipsilateral to the pain side, attributable to a headache attack. Overall, we have demonstrated the anatomical location of central nervous system activation by means the first f-MRI study in CH patients. f-MRI offers a good balance of spatial and temporal resolution, and this method of study appears appropriate for investigating the pathogenetic aspects of primary headaches. Positron emission tomography and f-MRI may be regarded as little or no importance in a clinical context, they do, however, offer great potential for the exploration of headache physiopathology and the effects of pharmacological treatment.
我们通过功能磁共振成像（f-MRI）对4例发作性丛集性头痛（CH）患者的脑激活中心进行了研究。患者在无症状状态、头痛发作期间以及皮下注射舒马曲坦后接受MRI扫描，以获取解剖学和功能数据。解剖图像通过3D-MPRAGE序列采集，f-MRI图像通过回波平面成像获得。使用BrainVoyager QX 1.7.81版软件包对数据进行分析。在所有患者中，数据显示疼痛侧同侧下丘脑有明显激活，这归因于头痛发作。总体而言，我们通过对CH患者的首次f-MRI研究证明了中枢神经系统激活的解剖位置。f-MRI在空间和时间分辨率上实现了良好平衡，这种研究方法似乎适合用于研究原发性头痛的发病机制。正电子发射断层扫描和f-MRI在临床背景下可能被认为作用不大或没有作用，然而，它们在探索头痛生理病理学和药物治疗效果方面具有巨大潜力。
