Volume 27, Issue 12 pp. 1360-1367

Interictal abnormalities of gamma band activity in visual evoked responses in migraine: an indication of thalamocortical dysrhythmia?

G Coppola

Corresponding Author

G Coppola

G.B. Bietti Eye Foundation-IRCCS, Department of Neurophysiology of Vision and Neurophthalmology,

Dr Gianluca Coppola, Department of Neurophysiology of Vision and Neurophthalmology, G.B. Bietti Eye Foundation-IRCCS, Via Livenza 3—00198, Rome, Italy. Tel. + 39 06 8535 6727, fax + 39 06 8424 2333, e-mail [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
A Ambrosini

A Ambrosini

IRCCS-Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS) and

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L Di Clemente

L Di Clemente

Headache Clinic, Department of Neurological Sciences, University ‘La Sapienza’, Rome, Italy,

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D Magis

D Magis

Headache Research Unit, University Department of Neurology and

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A Fumal

A Fumal

Headache Research Unit, University Department of Neurology and

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P Gérard

P Gérard

Headache Research Unit, University Department of Neurology and

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F Pierelli

F Pierelli

IRCCS-Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS) and

University ‘La Sapienza’, Polo Pontino—I.C.O.T., Rome, Italy

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J Schoenen

J Schoenen

Headache Research Unit, University Department of Neurology and

Res Ctr for Cell & Mol Neurobiology, Liège University, Liège, Belgium, and

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First published: 06 November 2007
Citations: 12

Abstract

Coppola G, Ambrosini A, Di Clemente L, Magis D, Fumal A, Gérard P, Pierelli F & Schoenen J. Interictal abnormalities of gamma band activity in visual evoked responses in migraine: an indication of thalamocortical dysrhythmia? Cephalalgia 2007; 27:1360–1367. London. ISSN 0333-1024

Between attacks, migraineurs lack habituation in standard visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Visual stimuli also evoke high-frequency oscillations in the gamma band range (GBOs, 20–35 Hz) assumed to be generated both at subcortical (early GBOs) and cortical levels (late GBOs). The consecutive peaks of GBOs were analysed regarding amplitude and habituation in six successive blocks of 100 averaged pattern reversal (PR)-VEPs in healthy volunteers and interictally in migraine with (MA) or without aura patients. Amplitude of the two early GBO components in the first PR-VEP block was significantly increased in MA patients. There was a significant habituation deficit of the late GBO peaks in migraineurs. The increased amplitude of early GBOs could be related to the increased interictal visual discomfort reported by patients. We hypothesize that the hypofunctioning serotonergic pathways may cause, in line with the thalamocortical dysrhythmia theory, a functional disconnection of the thalamus leading to decreased intracortical lateral inhibition, which can induce dishabituation.

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