Bi-sinusoidal light stimulation reveals an enhanced response power and reduced phase coherence at the visual cortex in migraine

Thomas C van den Hoek; Matthijs J L Perenboom; Gisela M Terwindt; Else A Tolner; Mark van de Ruit

doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1274059

Bi-sinusoidal light stimulation reveals an enhanced response power and reduced phase coherence at the visual cortex in migraine

Front Neurol. 2024 Jan 11:14:1274059. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1274059. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Thomas C van den Hoek¹, Matthijs J L Perenboom¹, Gisela M Terwindt¹, Else A Tolner^#^{1

2}, Mark van de Ruit^#^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
² Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
³ Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Introduction: Migraine is associated with enhanced visual sensitivity during and outside attacks. Processing of visual information is a highly non-linear process involving complex interactions across (sub)cortical networks. In this exploratory study, we combined electroencephalography with bi-sinusoidal light stimulation to assess non-linear features of visual processing in participants with migraine.

Methods: Twenty participants with migraine (10 with aura, 10 without aura) and ten non-headache controls were measured (outside attacks). Participants received bi-sinusoidal 13 + 23 Hz red light visual stimulation. Electroencephalography spectral power and multi-spectral phase coherence were compared between groups at the driving stimulation frequencies together with multiples and combinations of these frequencies (harmonic and intermodulation frequencies) caused by non-linearities.

Results: Only at the driving frequency of 13 Hz higher spectral power was found in migraine with aura participants compared with those with migraine without aura and controls. Differences in phase coherence were present for 2nd, 4th, and 5th-order non-linearities in those with migraine (migraine with and without aura) compared with controls. Bi-sinusoidal light stimulation revealed evident non-linearities in the brain's electroencephalography response up to the 5th order with reduced phase coherence for higher order interactions in interictal participants with migraine.

Discussion: Insight into interictal non-linear visual processing may help understand brain dynamics underlying migraine attack susceptibility. Future research is needed to determine the clinical value of the results.

Keywords: EEG; bi-sinusoidal; non-linear; steady-state response; visual system.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by Health-Holland, Top Sector Life Sciences & Health Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMW) [Brain@home, Project number: 114025101] and Medical Neurodelta (MD 01092019-31082023). MR was supported by research grants from the Leiden University Profile “Brain Function and Dysfunction across the lifespan” and Leiden University Fund (project number W19373-2-32). The funders had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report.