MigraineNCT02695498
Mindfulness and Mechanisms of Pain Processing in Adults With Migraines
A study testing Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Migraine/stress Education in people with Migraine, run by Wake Forest University Health Sciences at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Although many adults with migraines use non-pharmacological treatment options, there is a lack of research on the use of many mind/body techniques specifically for headache. This research will further the understanding of the mechanisms, efficacy, and predictors of mind-body practices in adults with migraines. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Migraine
- What is being tested?
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Migraine/stress Education
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 89 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 26 Aug 2016to 17 Jul 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosis of migraine; ≥18yo; ≥1 yr of migraines; 4-20 days/month with migraines; able and willing to participate in 8 weekly sessions and daily homework 30-45min
Who cannot join
- Current regular (weekly or more often) practice of meditation; any major unstable medical/psychiatric illness (e.g., hospitalization within 90 days, suicide risk, etc.); other non-migraine chronic pain condition (e.g., fibromyalgia, low back pain, etc.) or sensory abnormalities (e.g., neuropathy, Raynaud's, etc.); diagnosis of medication overuse headache; volunteers with no pain ratings to frankly noxious stimuli (temperatures > 49°C) or excessive responses to threshold temperatures (~43°C); current or planned pregnancy or breastfeeding, any new medication started within 4 weeks of screening visit; unwilling to maintain stable current medication dosages for duration of trial; failure to complete baseline headache logs.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157
About this study
Although many adults with migraines use non-pharmacological treatment options, there is a lack of research on the use of many mind/body techniques specifically for headache. This research will further the understanding of the mechanisms, efficacy, and predictors of mind-body practices in adults with migraines.
Read the detailed description
Migraine is a common and disabling pain condition. Affective/cognitive processes, such as pain catastrophizing and emotional reactivity, often play a major role in migraine pain and disability. These processes may be just as important to target as the sensory aspect given their impact on outcomes and disability. Because of this cognitive/affective load that builds over time in migraine, we hypothesize A) migraineurs perceive affective pain processing differently than non-migraineurs and B) mind/body therapies that target these factors may be especially beneficial and may differentially impact the affective component of migraine pain. Evidence shows that meditation decreases affective (e.g., pain unpleasantness) over sensory (e.g., pain intensity) response to experimental pain and reduces pain by engaging brain regions important for cognitive and affective modulation of pain. By measuring both experimental and clinical pain, the study team will be able to test these hypotheses.
- Conditions
- Migraine
- Being tested
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Migraine/stress Education
- Keywords
- migraine with aura, migraine without aura, pain, controls, mind-body
- Medical subject headings
- Migraine Disorders, Migraine with Aura, Migraine without Aura, Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mindfulness Based Stress ReductionOther
MBSR is a standardized course in mindfulness mediation and yoga. The participants will meet weekly for 8 weeks for 2.5 hours, plus a "mindfulness retreat day" (approximately 6 hours) after the 6th class [9 total classes.] Mindfulness is cultivated through meditation, body scan (sequential attention to parts of the body), and mindful movement (bodily awareness during gentle stretching, based on yoga). The instructor also gives information about stress and stress relief.
Migraine/stress EducationOther
The participants will be educated about migraine pathophysiology, headache triggers, stress, gentle stretches, and daily migraine readings.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction | Experimental | Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a standardized course in mindfulness mediation and yoga. Receives: Other: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction |
| Migraine/stress Education | Experimental | This course will educate participants about migraine pathophysiology, headache triggers, stress, gentle stretches, and daily migraine readings. Receives: Other: Migraine/stress Education |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Frequency of Migraine Days Per Month From Baseline
Change in frequency of migraine days from baseline: A migraine day is defined as a calendar day (00:00 to 23:59) when the patient reports 4 or more continuous hours of a moderate to severe headache (rating of 6-10 on 0-10 pain intensity scale) and/or they treated a headache with abortive medication; tracked with headache logs.
Measured: Baseline and immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)
Secondary outcomes (39)
Change in Frequency of Migraine Days From Baseline
Change in frequency of migraine days from baseline: A migraine day is defined as a calendar day (00:00 to 23:59) when the patient reports 4 or more continuous hours of a moderate to severe headache (rating of 6-10 on 0-10 pain intensity scale) and/or they treated a headache with abortive medication; tracked with headache logs
Measured: 3 months post-intervention
Change in Frequency of Headache Days From Baseline
Change in frequency of any day with a headache tracked with headache logs
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)
Change in Headache Duration From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Modeled change in headache duration from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 8-12 by calculating the duration (in hours) of each headache attack and using a multivariable linear mixed model framework controlling for baseline value of the outcome of interest, treatment group, cohort, and within participant variation via random effects, with significance based on the treatment group effect and phase interaction at .05 significance level.
Measured: From baseline to Immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)
Change in Migraine Severity-pain Intensity From Baseline to Week 12
change in headache severity-pain intensity from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 8-12. For each headache attack, participants rated the pain intensity on a 0-10 scale (0, no pain sensation, 10 most intense pain sensation imaginable). We calculated the pain intensity of each headache attack and used a multivariable linear model framework controlling for baseline value of the outcome of interest, treatment group, cohort, and within participant variation via random effects, with significance based on the treatment group effect and phase interaction at .05 significance level.
Measured: baseline to Week 12
Change in Headache Severity-pain Intensity From Baseline to Week 12
Modeled change in headache severity-pain intensity from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 8-12. For each headache attack, participants rated the pain intensity on a 0-10 scale (0, no pain sensation, 10 most intense pain sensation imaginable). Higher scores mean a worse outcome in terms of pain intensity.
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in Migraine Severity-pain Unpleasantness From Baseline
Change in migraine severity on 0-10 scale in pain unpleasantness from baseline (tracked with headache logs)
Measured: Baseline to 6 months post-intervention
Change in Headache Severity-pain Unpleasantness From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in headache severity on 0-10 scale (0, "not at all unpleasant" to 10, "most unpleasant imaginable") in pain unpleasantness from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 8-12 (tracked with headache logs).
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Percent Change in Score in Response to Experimental Heat Pain on Pain Intensity Measure From Baseline (0-10) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS Scale ) to 12 Weeks
Using a 10 cm sliding visual analogue scale, participants quantified intensity (from "no pain sensation" to "most intense imaginable"), at baseline and at 12 weeks for each of 6 measures at 49 °C. A multivariable linear mixed model was used to model the percent change from baseline in perceived pain intensity at each visit for each of 6 measures at 49 °C. The VAS consists of a 10cm line, with two end points representing 0 ('no pain') and 10 ('pain as bad as it could possibly be'). Ask the patient to rate their current level of pain by placing a mark on the line.
Measured: Baseline to week 12
Percent Change in Response Score to Experimental Heat Pain on Pain Unpleasantness Measure From Baseline (0-10) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS Scale) From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Using a 10 cm sliding visual analogue scale, participants quantified unpleasantness (from "not at all unpleasant" to "most unpleasant imaginable"). Participants rated perceived pain unpleasantness at baseline and at 12 weeks for each of 6 measures at 49 °C. A multivariable linear mixed model was used to model the percent change from baseline in perceived pain intensity at each visit for each of 6 measures at 49 °C. Change scores were modeled as a function of treatment group and visit, controlling for baseline. The VAS consists of a 10cm line, with two end points representing 0 ('no pain') and 10 ('pain as bad as it could possibly be'). Ask the patient to rate their current level of pain by placing a mark on the line.
Measured: Baseline to week 12
Change in Experimental Heat Pain Threshold From Baseline to Week 12
Change in Experimental Heat Pain Threshold From Baseline to 12 weeks
Measured: Baseline to week 12
Change in Headache-related Disability From Baseline
Change in headache-related disability from baseline (Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS)-one month) Score range is 0-21+
0 to 5: MIDAS grade I, little or no disability 6 to 10: MIDAS grade II, mild disability 11 to 20: MIDAS grade III, moderate disability 21 or higher: MIDAS grade IV, severe disability
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Headache Disability Scores From Baseline
Change in headache-related disability from baseline ( Headache Impact Test (HIT)-6)
Headache impact severity level can be categorized using score ranges based on the HIT-6 interpretation guide (29), The four headache impact severity categories are little or no impact (49 or less), some impact (50-55), substantial impact (56-59), and severe impact (60-78). Range is 10-78 with higher score = more disability
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Headache-related Quality of Life Scores From Baseline
Change in headache-related quality of life from baseline (Migraine Specific Quality of Life, v2.1)
The Migraine Specific Quality of Life (MSQoL) is a patient-reported outcome measure (PRO or PROM) which assesses the quality of life of migraineurs. It is a 25-item questionnaire which is filled out by the patient and is used to determine how the patient's life has been affected by their migraines - larger scores reflecting greater impact - scores ≤ 49 represent little or no impact, scores between 50 and 55 represent some impact, scores between 56 and 59 represent substantial impact, and scores ≥ 60 indicate severe impact
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Mindfulness Scores From Baseline
Change in mindfulness from baseline (Five-Facet Mindfulness Scale) - measures the trait-like tendency to be mindful in daily life. It is comprised of the following five related facets: observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity - The 39 items of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never or very rarely true) to 5 (very often or always true).
- Higher scores reflect higher mindfulness scores
- Range 39-195
- Subscales are summed for the total score
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Emotion Regulation Scores From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in emotion regulation from baseline (Difficulty Emotion Regulation Scale), Higher scores suggest greater problems with emotion regulation - The total score ranges from 16-80 with higher scores indicating more difficulties with emotion regulation
Measured: Baseline to week 12
Change in Pain Catastrophizing From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in pain catastrophizing from baseline (Pain Catastrophizing Scale)
Patients are asked to rate the degree to which they have any of the thoughts described in the questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (always). The total score is the sum of the scores for the individual items, and ranges from 0 to 52 - higher scores relating to more pain
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)
Change in Pain Acceptance From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in pain acceptance from baseline (Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire), higher scores reflect higher levels of pain acceptance; total range 0-156.
Measured: Baseline and week 12
Change in Perceived Stress From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in perceived stress from baseline (Perceived Stress Scale); Score Range: 0-40 with lower scores reflecting lower perceived stress. Ranges: 0-13 Low Stress; 14-26 Moderate Stress; 27-40 High perceived stress.
Measured: Baseline and week 12
Change in Depression Scores From Baseline
Change in depression from baseline (Patient health-related Questionnaire-depression module, PHQ-9)
Scores less than 5 almost always signified the absence of a depressive disorder; scores of 5 to 9 predominantly represented patients with either no depression or subthreshold (i.e., other) depression; scores of 10 to 14 represented a spectrum of patients; and scores of 15 or greater usually indicated major depression - The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression)
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Anxiety Scores From Baseline
Change in anxiety from baseline (Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). Higher Scores suggest a greater level of anxiety.
Score 0-4: Minimal Anxiety. Score 5-9: Mild Anxiety. Score 10-14: Moderate Anxiety. Score greater than 15: Severe Anxiety - GAD-7 score of 0-4 (none), 5-9 (mild), 10-14 (moderate), and 15-21 (severe)
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Self-efficacy Scores From Baseline
Change in self-efficacy from baseline (Headache Management Self-Efficacy scale). Higher scores reflect more self-efficacy.
The Headache Self-Efficacy Scale is a 51 item scale designed specifically for recurrent headache sufferers. It assesses individuals' belief that they are able to do the things necessary to prevent a moderately painful headache when confronted with personally relevant headache precipitants - The scale has a range of scores from 0-90. A higher number on the score represents a higher self-efficacy for exercise
Measured: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Hope Scores From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in hope from baseline (Herth Hope Index); Higher scores suggest higher levels of "Hope."
Herth Hope Scale (HHS) is a measure that attempts to capture the multidimensional aspects of hope. This is a 4-point summated rating scale.
Each item in the 30-item instrument is scored on a scale from 0 to 3, a score of 3 indicates that the item often applies and a score of 0 indicates that the statement never applies to the respondent. Summative scores can range from 0 to 90; higher scores denote greater hope. In terms of item order, no two consecutive items are from the same subscale.
Measured: Baseline and week 12
Change in Optimism From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in optimism from baseline (Life Orientation Test-revised); Higher scores indicate greater levels of optimism.
The Life Orientation Test (LOT) was developed to measure individual differences in optimism versus pessimism. Response options: 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0, "Strongly disagree" to 4, "Strongly agree". Total score: Items are summed, yielding a range from 0 to 32.
Measured: Baseline to week 12
Change in Sleep From Baseline - (NIH Promis Sleep Disturbance) to Week 12
Change in sleep from baseline measured with by NIH Promis Sleep Disturbance; Higher scores indicate greater severity of sleep disturbance; Range from 8-40.
Measured: Baseline and week 12
Change in Sleep From Baseline - (NIH Promis Sleep Disturbance) to 12 Weeks
Change in sleep from baseline measured with by NIH Promis Sleep Disturbance; Higher scores indicate greater severity of sleep disturbance; Range from 8-40.
Measured: Baseline and week 12
Change in Global Health From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in global health from baseline (NIH Promis Global Health-1st question); Range 0-5, 5 highest.
Measured: Baseline and week 12
Change in Social Connectedness From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in social connectedness from baseline (Social Connectedness Scale-revised); Higher scores reflect a higher level of social connection.
It is on a likert scale with 1 being strongly disagree to 6 being strongly agree.
Measured: Baseline to week 12
Change in Flourishing From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in flourishing from baseline (Flourishing scale); Higher scores represents a person with many psychological resources and strength; Range from 8-56.
Measured: Baseline and week 12
Change in Resilience Scores From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in resilience from baseline (Brief Resilience scale); higher scores indicate greater levels of resilience; scores range from 6-30
Measured: Baseline to week 12
Change in Allodynia From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Change in allodynia from baseline (Allodynia Symptom Checklist), score range 0-24, 0-2 none; 3-5 mild; 6-8 moderate; 9+ severe
Cutaneous allodynia (CA) scale defining no CA (scores 0-2), mild CA (3-5), moderate CA (6-8), and severe CA (≥9).
Measured: Baseline to week 12
Change in Number of Migraine Days From Baseline
Change in frequency of migraine days from baseline: A migraine day is defined as a calendar day (00:00 to 23:59) when the patient reports 4 or more continuous hours of a moderate to severe headache (rating of 6-10 on 0-10 pain intensity scale) and/or they treated a headache with abortive medication; tracked with headache logs
Measured: Baseline to 6 months post-intervention
Change in Number of Headache Days From Baseline
Change in frequency of any day with a headache tracked with headache logs
Measured: Baseline to 3 Months post-intervention
Change in Number of Headache Days From Baseline
Change in frequency of any day with a headache tracked with headache logs
Measured: Baseline to 6 Months post-intervention
Change in Headache Duration From Baseline to 24 Weeks
Modeled change in headache duration from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 20-24 by calculating the duration (in hours) of each headache attack
Measured: Baseline to 3 Months post-intervention (24 weeks)
Change in Headache Duration From Baseline to 36 Weeks
Modeled change in headache duration from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 32-36 by calculating the duration (in hours) of each headache attack
Measured: Baseline to 6 Months post-intervention (36 weeks)
Change in Headache Severity-pain Intensity From Baseline to 24 Weeks
change in headache severity-pain intensity from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 20-24 weeks. For each headache attack, participants rated the pain intensity on a 0-10 scale (0, no pain sensation, 10 most intense pain sensation imaginable). We calculated the pain intensity of each headache attack and used a multivariable linear mixed model framework controlling for baseline value of the outcome of interest, treatment group, cohort, and within participant variation via random effects, with significance based on the treatment group effect and phase interaction at .05 significance level.
Measured: Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in Headache Severity-pain Intensity From Baseline to 36 Weeks
change in headache severity-pain intensity from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 32-36. For each headache attack, participants rated the pain intensity on a 0-10 scale (0, no pain sensation, 10 most intense pain sensation imaginable). We calculated the pain intensity of each headache attack and used a multivariable linear mixed model framework controlling for baseline value of the outcome of interest, treatment group, cohort, and within participant variation via random effects, with significance based on the treatment group effect and phase interaction at .05 significance level.
Measured: Baseline and 36 weeks
Change in Headache Severity-pain Unpleasantness From Baseline to 24 Weeks
Change in headache severity on 0-10 scale (0, "not at all unpleasant" to 10, "most unpleasant imaginable") in pain unpleasantness from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 20-24 (tracked with headache logs).
Measured: Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in Headache Severity-pain Unpleasantness From Baseline to Week 36
Change in headache severity on 0-10 scale (0, "not at all unpleasant" to 10, "most unpleasant imaginable") in pain unpleasantness from baseline 4 weeks to weeks 32-36 (tracked with headache logs).
Measured: Baseline and week 36
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Mar 2016 (estimated)
- Study start26 Aug 2016
- Primary completion17 Jul 2019
- Study completion17 Jul 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for MigraineStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Wake Forest University Health SciencesThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 89 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Rebecca E Wells, MD, MPH, Principal investigator, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02695498
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB00027845-B
- Other IDs
- K23AT008406
- Status last verified
- Aug 2019
- First submitted
- 11 Jan 2016
- Last updated
- 27 Nov 2023
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Findings will be disseminated so that providers can implement the results into clinical practice, for scientists to build upon in their research, and for patients to inform treatment decisions. Results will be made publicly available through this website. In addition, results will be published in respected peer-reviewed journals, presented to colleagues at scientific meetings, and discussed with the press.
Publications
Wells RE, Burch R, Paulsen RH, Wayne PM, Houle TT, Loder E. Meditation for migraines: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Headache. 2014 Oct;54(9):1484-95. doi: 10.1111/head.12420. Epub 2014 Jul 18.
PubMed 25041058Wells RE, O'Connell N, Pierce CR, Estave P, Penzien DB, Loder E, Zeidan F, Houle TT. Effectiveness of Mindfulness Meditation vs Headache Education for Adults With Migraine: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2021 Mar 1;181(3):317-328. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.7090.
PubMed 33315046
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Nov 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Mindfulness and Mechanisms of Pain Processing in Adults With Migraines
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02695498
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB00027845-B
- Conditions
- Migraine
- Keywords
- migraine with aura, migraine without aura, pain, controls, mind-body
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 89 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Wake Forest University Health SciencesUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
- Study start
- 26 Aug 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 17 Jul 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 17 Jul 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Mar 2016 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 27 Nov 2023
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Although many adults with migraines use non-pharmacological treatment options, there is a lack of research on the use of many mind/body techniques specifically for headache. This research will further the understanding of the mechanisms, efficacy, and predictors of mind-body practices in adults with migraines.
Detailed description
Migraine is a common and disabling pain condition. Affective/cognitive processes, such as pain catastrophizing and emotional reactivity, often play a major role in migraine pain and disability. These processes may be just as important to target as the sensory aspect given their impact on outcomes and disability. Because of this cognitive/affective load that builds over time in migraine, we hypothesize A) migraineurs perceive affective pain processing differently than non-migraineurs and B) mind/body therapies that target these factors may be especially beneficial and may differentially impact the affective component of migraine pain. Evidence shows that meditation decreases affective (e.g., pain unpleasantness) over sensory (e.g., pain intensity) response to experimental pain and reduces pain by engaging brain regions important for cognitive and affective modulation of pain. By measuring both experimental and clinical pain, the study team will be able to test these hypotheses.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction | Experimental | Other: Mindfulness Based Stress ReductionMindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a standardized course in mindfulness mediation and yoga. |
| Migraine/stress Education | Experimental | Other: Migraine/stress EducationThis course will educate participants about migraine pathophysiology, headache triggers, stress, gentle stretches, and daily migraine readings. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Diagnosis of migraine; ≥18yo; ≥1 yr of migraines; 4-20 days/month with migraines; able and willing to participate in 8 weekly sessions and daily homework 30-45min
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Current regular (weekly or more often) practice of meditation; any major unstable medical/psychiatric illness (e.g., hospitalization within 90 days, suicide risk, etc.); other non-migraine chronic pain condition (e.g., fibromyalgia, low back pain, etc.) or sensory abnormalities (e.g., neuropathy, Raynaud's, etc.); diagnosis of medication overuse headache; volunteers with no pain ratings to frankly noxious stimuli (temperatures > 49°C) or excessive responses to threshold temperatures (~43°C); current or planned pregnancy or breastfeeding, any new medication started within 4 weeks of screening visit; unwilling to maintain stable current medication dosages for duration of trial; failure to complete baseline headache logs.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness Based Stress ReductionMBSR is a standardized course in mindfulness mediation and yoga. The participants will meet weekly for 8 weeks for 2.5 hours, plus a "mindfulness retreat day" (approximately 6 hours) after the 6th class [9 total classes.] Mindfulness is cultivated through meditation, body scan (sequential attention to parts of the body), and mindful movement (bodily awareness during gentle stretching, based on yoga). The instructor also gives information about stress and stress relief. | Other | Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction |
| Migraine/stress EducationThe participants will be educated about migraine pathophysiology, headache triggers, stress, gentle stretches, and daily migraine readings. | Other | Migraine/stress Education |
Primary outcome
Change in Frequency of Migraine Days Per Month From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)
Change in frequency of migraine days from baseline: A migraine day is defined as a calendar day (00:00 to 23:59) when the patient reports 4 or more continuous hours of a moderate to severe headache (rating of 6-10 on 0-10 pain intensity scale) and/or they treated a headache with abortive medication; tracked with headache logs.
39 secondary outcomes
Change in Frequency of Migraine Days From Baseline
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Change in Frequency of Headache Days From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)
Change in Headache Duration From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: From baseline to Immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)
Change in Migraine Severity-pain Intensity From Baseline to Week 12
Time frame: baseline to Week 12
Change in Headache Severity-pain Intensity From Baseline to Week 12
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in Migraine Severity-pain Unpleasantness From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months post-intervention
Change in Headache Severity-pain Unpleasantness From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Percent Change in Score in Response to Experimental Heat Pain on Pain Intensity Measure From Baseline (0-10) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS Scale ) to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to week 12
Percent Change in Response Score to Experimental Heat Pain on Pain Unpleasantness Measure From Baseline (0-10) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS Scale) From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to week 12
Change in Experimental Heat Pain Threshold From Baseline to Week 12
Time frame: Baseline to week 12
Change in Headache-related Disability From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Headache Disability Scores From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Headache-related Quality of Life Scores From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Mindfulness Scores From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Emotion Regulation Scores From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to week 12
Change in Pain Catastrophizing From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)
Change in Pain Acceptance From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and week 12
Change in Perceived Stress From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and week 12
Change in Depression Scores From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Anxiety Scores From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Self-efficacy Scores From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to Immediately post-intervention
Change in Hope Scores From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and week 12
Change in Optimism From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to week 12
Change in Sleep From Baseline - (NIH Promis Sleep Disturbance) to Week 12
Time frame: Baseline and week 12
Change in Sleep From Baseline - (NIH Promis Sleep Disturbance) to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and week 12
Change in Global Health From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and week 12
Change in Social Connectedness From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to week 12
Change in Flourishing From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and week 12
Change in Resilience Scores From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to week 12
Change in Allodynia From Baseline to 12 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to week 12
Change in Number of Migraine Days From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to 6 months post-intervention
Change in Number of Headache Days From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to 3 Months post-intervention
Change in Number of Headache Days From Baseline
Time frame: Baseline to 6 Months post-intervention
Change in Headache Duration From Baseline to 24 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to 3 Months post-intervention (24 weeks)
Change in Headache Duration From Baseline to 36 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline to 6 Months post-intervention (36 weeks)
Change in Headache Severity-pain Intensity From Baseline to 24 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in Headache Severity-pain Intensity From Baseline to 36 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and 36 weeks
Change in Headache Severity-pain Unpleasantness From Baseline to 24 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and 24 weeks
Change in Headache Severity-pain Unpleasantness From Baseline to Week 36
Time frame: Baseline and week 36
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Nov 2023.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Background: PubMed 25041058Wells RE, Burch R, Paulsen RH, Wayne PM, Houle TT, Loder E. Meditation for migraines: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Headache. 2014 Oct;54(9):1484-95. doi: 10.1111/head.12420. Epub 2014 Jul 18.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 33315046Wells RE, O'Connell N, Pierce CR, Estave P, Penzien DB, Loder E, Zeidan F, Houle TT. Effectiveness of Mindfulness Meditation vs Headache Education for Adults With Migraine: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2021 Mar 1;181(3):317-328. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.7090.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Findings will be disseminated so that providers can implement the results into clinical practice, for scientists to build upon in their research, and for patients to inform treatment decisions. Results will be made publicly available through this website. In addition, results will be published in respected peer-reviewed journals, presented to colleagues at scientific meetings, and discussed with the press.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Rebecca E Wells, MD, MPH principal investigator
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Migraine/stress Education in people with Migraine, run by Wake Forest University Health Sciences at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Nov 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 27 Nov 2023). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Frequency of Migraine Days Per Month From Baseline (time frame: Baseline and immediately post-intervention (12 weeks)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02695498, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Nov 2023; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.