Conclusions
migraine, disability, migraine-related disability, CM
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, DISEASE, MIGRAINE, IRON DEPOSITION
In conclusion, we have successfully demonstrated that there is an increased iron deposition in multiple subcortical nuclei, especially NAC, in patients with CM, and the regional iron accumulation level in NAC could be used to distinguish CM patients from EM. More importantly, the increased iron deposition in NAC was associated with higher disease burden, higher migraine-related disability, and worse sleep quality, suggesting a potential role as a neuroimaging marker to track patient disability and aid in the monitoring of treatment regime. These results provided further evidence for future research efforts to understand the underlying vascular and neural mechanisms behind the pathophysiology of migraine.