Does resting-state fMRI show different brain activity in people with chronic migraine?

Resting-state fMRI measures spontaneous brain activity when a person is not performing a task. In chronic migraine, research finds that brain activity patterns differ from those in healthy people. These differences may reflect changes in how the brain processes pain and adapts over time.

What the research says

A 2024 study found that people with chronic migraine had reduced brain entropy in visual, attention, and default mode network regions compared to healthy controls ⁷. Lower entropy, which indicates less complex neural activity, was linked to more frequent headaches and longer illness duration ⁷. During migraine attacks, entropy increased in multisensory integration areas, suggesting dynamic changes with attack timing ⁷.

A meta-analysis of resting-state fMRI studies (2025) reported that migraine patients showed increased low-frequency brain activity in the left anterior thalamus and corticospinal tract, and decreased activity in the right middle frontal gyrus, though these findings were not significant after strict correction ¹⁰. Another study on vestibular migraine found increased dynamics of brain activity in the supplementary motor area and decreased dynamics in the right temporal pole and cerebellum ¹¹.

These results suggest that chronic migraine is associated with measurable changes in resting brain function, particularly in networks involved in pain, attention, and sensory processing ⁷¹⁰¹¹.

What to ask your doctor

• Could a resting-state fMRI help explain my migraine symptoms?
• What do changes in brain entropy or low-frequency activity mean for my treatment options?
• Are there any ongoing studies using fMRI to guide migraine therapies?
• How do these brain activity changes relate to my headache frequency and duration?
• Should I consider any other brain imaging tests for my chronic migraine?