Dissecting the Circle of Willis-Migraine connection: A review
ObjectiveAnatomical variations in the Circle of Willis (CoW) may mediate the prevalence of migraines with aura (MWA) and without aura (MWoA) in patients. The aim of this review is to describe and evaluate contrasting studies to clarify the current understanding of this association within the literat...
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| Language: | English |
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AIMS Press
2025-02-01
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| Series: | AIMS Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/Neuroscience.2025001 |
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| author | Jad El Choueiri Leonardo Di Cosmo Francesca Pellicanò Francesca Romana Centini |
| author_facet | Jad El Choueiri Leonardo Di Cosmo Francesca Pellicanò Francesca Romana Centini |
| author_sort | Jad El Choueiri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectiveAnatomical variations in the Circle of Willis (CoW) may mediate the prevalence of migraines with aura (MWA) and without aura (MWoA) in patients. The aim of this review is to describe and evaluate contrasting studies to clarify the current understanding of this association within the literature.MethodsA comprehensive search across PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library resulted in 10 relevant studies that met our selection criteria and examined the association between the CoW and migraine prevalence.ResultsConflicting results were reported across the prospective and retrospective studies, which varied among different populations and the inclusion classification of CoW variants. Studies that evaluated posterior CoW variations repeatedly reported differential associations between migraines with aura (MWA) and without aura (MWoA), thus revealing a significant association only with the former. Two mechanisms of actions were hypothesized to be attributed to such associations; one hypothesized a resultant cerebral hypovascularization, whilst the other emphasized the role of shear stress in associated small arteries.DiscussionWhile some studies reported significant associations between specific CoW variations and migraines, particularly with the posterior CoW variations and MWA, conflicting evidence emphasizes the necessity for further investigations to provide a greater understanding between CoW variations and different migraine subtypes. A consensus calls for future studies to include larger samples over various ethnic populations to overcome the biases encountered within the current field of literature. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4e529a5b6f9d4d19a1c5c95a43156e90 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2373-7972 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | AIMS Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIMS Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-4e529a5b6f9d4d19a1c5c95a43156e902025-08-20T03:48:19ZengAIMS PressAIMS Neuroscience2373-79722025-02-0112111410.3934/Neuroscience.2025001Dissecting the Circle of Willis-Migraine connection: A reviewJad El Choueiri0Leonardo Di Cosmo1Francesca Pellicanò2Francesca Romana Centini3Humanitas University, Department of Biomedical Sciences Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele Milano, ItalyHumanitas University, Department of Biomedical Sciences Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele Milano, ItalyHumanitas University, Department of Biomedical Sciences Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele Milano, ItalyHumanitas University, Department of Biomedical Sciences Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele Milano, ItalyObjectiveAnatomical variations in the Circle of Willis (CoW) may mediate the prevalence of migraines with aura (MWA) and without aura (MWoA) in patients. The aim of this review is to describe and evaluate contrasting studies to clarify the current understanding of this association within the literature.MethodsA comprehensive search across PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library resulted in 10 relevant studies that met our selection criteria and examined the association between the CoW and migraine prevalence.ResultsConflicting results were reported across the prospective and retrospective studies, which varied among different populations and the inclusion classification of CoW variants. Studies that evaluated posterior CoW variations repeatedly reported differential associations between migraines with aura (MWA) and without aura (MWoA), thus revealing a significant association only with the former. Two mechanisms of actions were hypothesized to be attributed to such associations; one hypothesized a resultant cerebral hypovascularization, whilst the other emphasized the role of shear stress in associated small arteries.DiscussionWhile some studies reported significant associations between specific CoW variations and migraines, particularly with the posterior CoW variations and MWA, conflicting evidence emphasizes the necessity for further investigations to provide a greater understanding between CoW variations and different migraine subtypes. A consensus calls for future studies to include larger samples over various ethnic populations to overcome the biases encountered within the current field of literature.https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/Neuroscience.2025001circle of willismigraine with auramigraine without auracerebral vascularization |
| spellingShingle | Jad El Choueiri Leonardo Di Cosmo Francesca Pellicanò Francesca Romana Centini Dissecting the Circle of Willis-Migraine connection: A review AIMS Neuroscience circle of willis migraine with aura migraine without aura cerebral vascularization |
| title | Dissecting the Circle of Willis-Migraine connection: A review |
| title_full | Dissecting the Circle of Willis-Migraine connection: A review |
| title_fullStr | Dissecting the Circle of Willis-Migraine connection: A review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dissecting the Circle of Willis-Migraine connection: A review |
| title_short | Dissecting the Circle of Willis-Migraine connection: A review |
| title_sort | dissecting the circle of willis migraine connection a review |
| topic | circle of willis migraine with aura migraine without aura cerebral vascularization |
| url | https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/Neuroscience.2025001 |
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