Migraine as a predictor of brain structural and functional changes: in-depth evaluation of magnetic resonance neuroimaging in ELSA-Brasil

• Grant number: 23/03011-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Radiology
• Principal Investigator: Alessandra Carvalho Goulart
• Grantee: Arão Belitardo de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Hospital Universitário (HU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/09468-9 - The determinants of healthy brain aging in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), AP.TEM

Abstract

Although migraine is a neurological disease in which is the main diagnosis made by the clinical symptoms, important research groups worldwide have sought to characterize a brain "signature" for migraine, or rather, to understand the impact of migraine on brain structures and functions and possible associations with increased risk for cerebrovascular diseases such as ischemic stroke (AVCI). The aim of this project is to study the impact of migraine on the prevalence of white matter hyperintensity ("White matter hyperintensities"-WMH), the occurrence of lacunae and microinfarcts, as well as volumetric/cortical changes in gray matter, in addition to functional changes in up to 12 years of follow-up in an ELSA-Brasil cohort sample. In a prospective study, participants from downtown São Paulo, of both genders, over 35 years old (baseline 2008-10) and diagnosed with migraine without aura (MO) and migraine with aura (AM) will be compared with participants with other headache and non-headache types collected in Headache Wave 1 (2008-2010) and Headache Wave 2 (2020-2022). Structural and functional biomarkers will be evaluated on magnetic resonance imaging (3T-MRI): evaluation of variables such as total brain volume and segments, WMH, the occurrence of lacunae and microinfarcts, in addition to cardiovascular risk variables, and psychiatric comorbidities. Logistic regression models will be adopted to test hypotheses of association between migraine diagnosis and MA and MO subtypes (predictive variable) and functional and structural markers on 3T-MRI (response variables), with the group of participants without headaches selected as control, adjusting the models for sociodemographic variables, cardiovascular risk, and psychiatric comorbidities.

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE OLIVEIRA, ARAO BELITARDO; SANTOS, ITAMAR S.; PERES, MARIO FERNANDO PRIETO; CONFORTO, ADRIANA BASTOS; IKRAM, MOHAMMAD A.; LOTUFO, PAULO A.; BENSENOR, ISABELA M.; GOULART, ALESSANDRA C.. Sex-specific differences in the relationship between AHA Life's Essential 8 factors and migraine disorders: A cross-sectional evaluation in ELSA-Brasil study. HEADACHE, v. N/A, p. 15-pg., 2025-11-13. (20/09468-9, 23/03011-5)

MERCANTE, JULIANE PRIETO PERES; OLIVEIRA, ARAO BELITARDO; PERES, MARIO FERNANDO PRIETO; WANG, YUAN-PANG; BRUNONI, ANDRE RUSSOWSKY; LOTUFO, PAULO ANDRADE; BENSENOR, ISABELA MARTINS; GOULART, ALESSANDRA CARVALHO. Association of mental health symptoms with the migraine-tension-type headache spectrum in the Brazilian longitudinal study of adult health. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH, v. 179, p. 10-pg., 2024-03-02. (23/03011-5, 20/09468-9)

DE OLIVEIRA, ARAO BELITARDO; PERES, MARIO FERNANDO PRIETO; MERCANTE, JULIANE PRIETO PERES; BRUNONI, ANDRE R.; WANG, YUAN-PANG; MOLINA, MARIA DEL CARMEN B.; UCHIYAMA, LUCAS K.; LOTUFO, PAULO A.; BENSENOR, ISABELA M.; GOULART, ALESSANDRA C.. Associations of comorbid headache disorders and depression with leisure-time physical activity among 14,088 adults in The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health. HEADACHE, v. N/A, p. 12-pg., 2024-11-10. (23/03011-5, 20/09468-9)

DE OLIVEIRA, ARAO BELITARDO; SCHYTZ, HENRIK WINTER; PERES, MARIO FERNANDO PRIETO; MERCANTE, JULIANE PRIETO PERES; BRUNONI, ANDRE R.; WANG, YUAN -PANG; MOLINA, MARIA DEL CARMEN B.; UCHIYAMA, LUCAS KOJI; LOTUFO, PAULO A.; JENSEN, RIGMOR HOJLAND; et al. Does physical activity and inflammation mediate the job stress-headache relationship? A sequential mediation analysis in the ELSA-Brasil study. BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY, v. 120, p. 12-pg., 2024-06-05. (23/03011-5, 20/09468-9)