The Migraine Brain, edited by David Borsook, Arne May, Peter J. Goadsby, and Richard Hargreaves, makes a major contribution to the field, addressing the increasingly sophisticated neuroimaging techniques that have allowed researchers to begin to define functional and anatomical characteristics of migraine and other less-common types of headache. Of particular focus is how imaging is changing the way we understand migraine. This includes changes in function, structure and chemistry of the migraine brain. Included are sections that focus on particular aspects of migraine, for example the migraine aura: those symptoms that cause visual sensitivity (blinding white light), sensory difficulty (loud noises, painful touch, and hot/cold spells), slurred language, and motor dysfunction. Extensively illustrated throughout, The Migraine Brain provides a general overview of the history of migraine, its pathophysiology, as well as in-depth details on the Clinical Perspectives and the different imaging techniques in use (MR, fMRI, DTI, VBM, PET, fMRI, and MEG). It also includes details on modulation of the brain using such techniques as TMS.
The book concludes with a discussion of future uses of imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of migraines and other headaches. A collation of the top thinkers in the field and the only book of its kind, The Migraine Brain is necessary reading for neurologists and neuroscientists.
