Shared Patterns of Brain Functional Connectivity for the Comorbidity between Migraine and Insomnia

Migraine is commonly comorbid with insomnia; both disorders are linked to functional disturbance of the default mode network (DMN). Evidence suggests that DMN could be segregated into multiple subnetworks with specific roles that underline different cognitive processes. However, the relative contributions of DMN subnetworks in the comorbidity of migraine and insomnia remain largely unknown. This study sought to identify altered functional connectivity (FC) profiles of DMN subnetworks in the comorbidity of migraine and insomnia. Direct group comparisons with healthy controls, followed by conjunction analyses, were used to identify shared FC alterations of DMN subnetworks. The shared FC changes of the DMN subnetworks in the migraine and insomnia groups were identified in the dorsomedial prefrontal and posteromedial cortex subnetworks. These shared FC changes were primarily associated with motor and somatosensory systems, and consistently found in patients with comorbid migraine and insomnia. Additionally, the magnitude of FC between the posteromedial cortex and postcentral gyrus correlated with insomnia duration in patients with comorbid migraine and insomnia. Our findings point to specific FC alterations of the DMN subnetwork in migraine and insomnia. The shared patterns of FC disturbance may be associated with the underlying mechanisms of the comorbidity of the two disorders.