Cortical and gyral thickness in pre-central and post-central human brain cortex of patient with headache : MRI findings

Abstract EN

Headache is one of the man's most common affection.

The frequency of disabling headache is explain in part by rich nerve supply to the head (including afferent nerve fibers from trigeminal, glossopharngyal, vagus and upper three cervical nerves), and in part psychological implication of head pain, causing anxiety about even modest headache, head pain can be result of either intra or extra-cranial disease in the distribution of any of above nerves.

The aim is To study the effect of headache on cortical and gyral thickness in the pre-central and post-central regions.

This prospective study was done in the MRI unit of AL-kadhimyia teaching hospital from the period of April 2009 to September 2009.

The study included 2 groups : group 1 included 28 patients (17 females and 11males) suffering from headache of variable duration, while group 2 included 28 normal subjects as a control.

Measurements of the cortical thickness of the pre-central and post-central regions as well as the thickness for the 2 groups were done from the sagittal T1 weighted spine echo image.

Statistical significance was indicated by a p value of less than 0.05.

A statistically significant Increase in cortical thickness of the post-central region was found in headache patients (4.03± 0.77mm) compared with normal subjects .In patients suffering from headache a statistically significant increase in cortical thickness of the post-central region (4.03± 0.77mm) when compared with that of the pre-central region.

The cortical thickness in pre-and post-central regions is proportionally increased with the increased duration of headache.