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Headaches ChronicBe-Home-KidsNCT04604977

Feasibility and Effectiveness of Home-behavioral Program for Adolescents With Migraine

A study testing Mindfulness in people with Headaches Chronic, run by Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta at 1 site in Italy.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Chronic Migraine and Migraine without aura at high frequency are disabling conditions also in adolescence age (2% of adolescents report chronic migraine) Common pharmacological treatments are often inadequate. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 12 to 18 years
Conditions the study is for
Headaches Chronic
What is being tested?
Mindfulness
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
30 participants
Where
1 siteItaly
Study dates
15 Dec 2023to 15 Dec 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 12 to 18 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • clinical diagnosis of Chronic Migraine or High Frequency Migraine without aura
  • written informed consent

Who cannot join

  • co-existent severe medical or psychiatric illnesses, documented by specific previous diagnoses
  • seizures
  • use of opioids
  • participation to other projects with behavioral approaches in the last

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Italy1 site
  • Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Neuroalgology Unit

    Milan, Milano, 20133

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Official title: Feasibility and Effectiveness of Home-behavioral Program for Adolescents With Chronic Migraine and High Frequency Migraine Without Aura After the Covid-19 Emergency

Chronic Migraine and Migraine without aura at high frequency are disabling conditions also in adolescence age (2% of adolescents report chronic migraine) Common pharmacological treatments are often inadequate. It has been reported that clinical results can be improved when traditional therapies are combined with behavioral approaches in particular mindfulness, that help patients to become more conscious about their symptoms and able to manage pain without medication. Generally, according to standard clinical practice, young patients (12-17 yrs old) treated by mindfulness practice come to the hospital to practice mindfulness in small groups of patients for 6 weekly 45 minutes sessions. As the emergency situation due to the Corona-virus pandemic phenomenon in Italy, patients missed the possibility to come for the regular practice to the hospital: for this reason the investigators propose a small pilot study to enforce the use of technology for patients so that they can continue to be followed during their therapeutic process. This preliminary study will be conducted on 25 patients They will be trained to practice mindfulness daily by a standard session of 12 minutes on their smartphone recorded by the expert who generally manage their sessions at the hospital. Also a weekly video-session will be performed to evaluate the clinical condition, to practice guided mindfulness sessions and to encourage to use strategies for pain management . This modality will allow patients to continue their therapeutic process and to be followed regularly during the one year after treatment. Follow up sessions are planned every three months: these meetings at the hospital will be face-to-face with every patient to check the clinical condition by the patient's diary. Last follow up one year after treatment.

Read the detailed description

Background and significance Chronic Migraine is not so unusual in pediatric and adolescent age and is about 2% of population in adolescent age. The literature of the last decades confirmed the need to taking care of these patients susceptible to develop medication overuse. There are different pharmacological treatments for migraine in young patients but no one of them has specific indication for this category of patients and their efficacy reaches 30/40% leaving many side effects difficult to manage at this age. The feasibility and the effectiveness of behavioral approaches has been already documented in clinical experiences of the last decades: these approaches revealed efficacy in long-term studies and with control groups and they are totally free of unpleasant effects. Mindfulness practice is one of the most recent behavioral approaches that combined with Acceptance Commitment Therapy offer a suitable and adequate treatment for adolescent patients. These approaches make patients more conscious about their problem and able to learn techniques alternative to medications for managing pain.. Mindfulness and other behavioral therapies have done significant results in terms of clinical improvement for these patients and they are well accepted with a high adherence level. This preliminary study will be performed considering that the Covid-19 emergency reduced significantly the possibility for patients to follow sessions at the hospital and to move among the different Italian regions and the investigators organized a program with education and support by mindfulness , delivered by video sessions. According to the protocols at the Headache Center of the Besta Institute in Milan Italy, patients of this category are followed with a standardized program including: education and support for behavioral measures, behavioral sessions, by mindfulness, once per week for 45 minutes for 6 weeks which usually delivered in groups of 4 - 8 patients. This approach may be particularly useful in helping patients to obtain a better outcome. All the above discussed considerations are even more relevant in this emergency situation due to the Corona-virus pandemic phenomenon in Italy, with its consequences on mobility of patients and clinical practice. In order to promote different modalities to respond to the needs of patients suffering from this disabling condition during the emergency, exercise-based telemedicine and smartphone applications seem very appropriate, as they have been recently tested in the management of chronic pain conditions. This preliminary study will be performed considering that the Covid-19 emergency reduced significantly the mobility of patients, particularly those living in other Italian regions than Lombardy, and in view of providing an effective and somewhat innovative treatment program for this class of patients. The proposed treatment intervention is based on investigators' experience, and on published reports, but it specifically includes a home based program, visits performed as Video calls, and educational and support strategies aimed to develop skills to reduce clinical symptoms and to cope with pain by a standardized behavioural approach based on mindfulness -

which will be delivered mainly by telemedicine and smartphone applications . The aim of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and the effectiveness at long-term on relevant outcomes of a specific protocol, designed to be appropriate during the emergency situation due to COVID-19 epidemic, by an approach that is alternative to current practice, particularly as far as reducing face-to-face hospital visits taking advantage of facilities offered by new technologies, besides including innovative and emerging treatment choices, namely a behavioural approach base on mindfulness

Being tested
Mindfulness
Medical subject headings
Headache Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • MindfulnessBehavioural

    Patients are followed with a standardized program including: education and support for behavioral measures, behavioral sessions, by mindfulness, once per week for 45 minutes for 6 weeks which usually delivered in groups of 4 - 8 patients.

Study groups in NCT04604977
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Mindfulness by SmartphoneOtheran approach that is alternative to current practice, particularly as far as reducing face-to-face hospital visits taking advantage of facilities offered by new technologies, besides including innovative and emerging treatment choices, namely a behavioural approach base on mindfulness
Receives: Behavioral: Mindfulness

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. reduction of headache days

    reduction of at least 50 % of headache days during the treatment period

    Measured: at 6 months and 12 months follow-up compared with baseline (Headache Daily Diary)

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. reduction of headache days until last follow up

    reduction of at least 50 % of headache days until the last follow up (assessed by Daily Diary Card)

    Measured: at 12 months from withdrawal program (assessed by Daily Diary Card)

  2. disability score

    decrease in disability score (Ped MIDAS) - (score of PedMIDAS: 0-10 little disability; 11-30 mild disability; 31-50 moderate disability; more than 50 severe disability)

    Measured: 6 months - 12 months

  3. catastrophising attitude

    decrease in catastrophising attitude (PCS) - Score more than 30 : clinically relevant level of catastrophising

    Measured: 6 months - 12 months

  4. depression symptoms

    decrease in depression symptoms (Kovacs) - score =15 mild depression; 15-20 moderate depression; more than 25 severe depression);

    Measured: 6 months - 12 months

  5. trait-state anxiety symptoms (STAI X1-X2)

    decrease in trait-state anxiety symptoms (STAI X1-X2) - score more than 40 anxiety symptoms abnormal

    Measured: 6 months - 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Oct 2020
  2. Study start15 Dec 2023
  3. Primary completion15 Dec 2023
  4. Study completion15 Dec 2023

Resources

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
Other
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
30 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04604977
Sponsor's protocol ID
Be-Home-Kids
Acronym
Be-Home-Kids
Status last verified
Jan 2025
First submitted
20 Oct 2020
Last updated
23 Jan 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Mindfulness in people with Headaches Chronic, run by Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta at 1 site in Italy.

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 2 inclusion and 4 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 23 Jan 2025. 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 Italy. 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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

reduction of headache days (time frame: at 6 months and 12 months follow-up compared with baseline (Headache Daily Diary)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 23 Jan 2025.

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