Abstract
Posttraumatic headache (PTH) is the most common symptom following mild traumatic brain
injury (mTBI) (also known as concussion). Migraine and PTH have similar phenotypes,
and a migraine-like phenotype is common in PTH. The similarities between both headache
types are intriguing and challenge a better understanding of the pathophysiological
commonalities involved in migraine and PTH due to mTBI. Here, we review the PTH resting-state
functional connectivity literature and compare it to migraine to assess overlap and
differences in brain network function between both headache types. Migraine and PTH
due to mTBI have overlapping and disease-specific widespread alterations of static
and dynamic functional networks involved in pain processing as well as dysfunctional
network connections between frontal regions and areas of pain modulation and pain
inhibition. Although the PTH functional network literature is still limited, there
is some evidence that dysregulation of the top-down pain control system underlies
both migraine and PTH. However, disease-specific differences in the functional circuitry
are observed as well, which may reflect unique differences in brain architecture and
pathophysiology underlying both headache disorders.
Keywords
migraine - posttraumatic headache - mild traumatic brain injury - hypothalamus - periaqueductal
gray - static and dynamic functional connectivity
