Hemodynamic responses related to intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells in migraine

Publication date: Available online 29 November 2019Source: Neuroscience ResearchAuthor(s): Masahiko Yamakawa, Atsumichi Tachibana, Muneto Tatsumoto, Katsunori Okajima, Shuichi Ueda, Koichi HirataAbstractTo clarify whether photoreception of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) is related to migraine, we investigated the relationship between hemodynamic responses related to neural activity and visual stimulation of ipRGCs. It has been established that photoreception in ipRGCs is associated with photophobia in migraine. However, the relationship between visual stimulation of ipRGCs and hemodynamic responses in the visual cortex has not been clarified. Hemodynamic responses in the visual cortex were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as signals reflecting changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentrations. Different types of visual stimulation generated by a metamerism method were applied to the peripheral field of the eye of patients with migraine (N = 20) and healthy participants (N = 21). The stimulation intensity on the retina was controlled using an artificial pupil. In the primary visual cortex of patients with migraine, statistically significant changes in fNIRS signals dependent on visual stimulation intensity applied to ipRGCs were observed (p < 0.01), while no such changes were observed in healthy participants. These results reveal that visual stimulation of ipRGCs projecting to the primary ...
Source: Neuroscience Research - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research