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Migraine in Adolescents

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The Washington University

Status

Enrolling

Conditions

Migraine

Treatments

Behavioral: Pressure pain thresholds (PPT)
Diagnostic Test: Hormonal assessment
Device: Thermal Stimuli
Device: MRI
Diagnostic Test: Pubertal status
Behavioral: Neural assessments
Behavioral: Migraine-related measures
Behavioral: Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) efficiency
Behavioral: Pain ratings
Device: Pressure stimuli

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other
NIH

Identifiers

NCT05654012
R01NS134986 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
202208056
R01NS129742 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Aim 1. To identify psychophysical and neural factors predicting migraine onset in adolescents

Aim 2a. To determine hormonal, psychophysical, and neural changes associated with migraine onset.

Aim 2b. To identify the temporal relationships between hormonal, psychophysical, and neural changes preceding vs. following migraine onset.

Aim 3. To identify psychophysical and neural factors predicting migraine prognosis in adolescents with migraine.

Full description

This study aims to identify predictors of migraine onset in adolescents as well as to determine hormonal, psychophysical, and neural changes associated with migraine onset. The study procedures involve an MRI scan, sensory testing, blood draw, meeting with a specialist to determine migraine diagnosis, and completing surveys

After signing the consent/assent form, participants and their parent/legal guardian will complete surveys to ensure eligibility. At the beginning and/or after the baseline study visit and the beginning and/or after the follow-up study visits, participants will meet (in person or via electronic communication) with a headache/ pain specialist or a trained study staff member to determine if they meet the criteria for migraine diagnosis (based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd Edition (ICHD-3) criteria). Participants will receive a copy of the Migraine Physician Meeting Summary Form (Migraine Summary Form). This may be sent to their email directly, email via DocuSign or in person at a study visit. For the healthy group, participants are required not to meet the criteria for migraine at the baseline study visit. For the migraine group, participants are required to meet the criteria for migraine diagnosis or present with migraine symptoms at the baseline study visit. Participants will be asked to complete a one-hour MRI scan and a psychophysical session which will include quantitative sensory testing (QST) assessments of pain sensitivity and inhibitory pain modulation capabilities (by testing the conditioned pain modulation response). During the psychophysical session, participants may also complete demographic, pubertal, and other surveys. At the end of the study visit, a blood draw may be conducted and a saliva sample might be collected for analyses of sex hormone levels. For two days following each study visit, participants may be asked to complete saliva samples, preferably at the same time as the study visit, to assess sex hormone levels. Additional blood and/or saliva samples may be collected at the study visits and stored for future genetic, hormonal or immune analyses.

Participants will complete short online monthly surveys for 2 years asking about the number of headaches in the last month, headache severity, causes for the headaches (e.g., virus), additional symptoms, and any new migraine diagnosis.

After 1 and 2 years, participants will return for follow-up study visits which may include the same procedures (MRI session, psychophysical session, completing surveys and a blood draw, and meeting with a headache/ pain specialist/trained study staff member).

Post menarche participants may have a pregnancy test before initiation of the study visit procedures. In case of pregnancy, participants will only meet with the headache/ pain specialist/trained study staff member and complete surveys. In addition, for post-menarche participants, if possible, the follow-up study visits may be scheduled at the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (1-10 days after the beginning of menstruation).

If participants meet the diagnosis criteria for migraine at the follow-up study visits, they may be asked to complete additional surveys regarding their headaches characteristics (e.g., headache duration, intensity, and treatments, following the NINDS Common Data Elements,[2] and migraine-related disability which is widely used in pediatric patients.[43; 44] 28 days before and/or after the baseline and follow-up study visits, participants may be asked to complete a daily headache diary to assess headache frequency.

All study procedures are optional and participates can stop or not complete tests if they want.

Enrollment

250 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

10 to 13 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria for healthy participants:

  1. Age 10-13
  2. Males or females (biological sex)
  3. Not diagnosed with migraine or having migraine symptoms
  4. With a first degree relative diagnosed with migraine (for the Fam-His group) or without a first or a second degree relative diagnosed with migraine (for the No-Fam-His group)

Inclusion criteria for participants with migraine:

  1. Age 10-13
  2. Males or females (biological sex)
  3. Diagnosed with migraine or having migraine symptoms
  4. Migraine duration > 6 months
  5. Without preventative treatment or with stable preventative treatment for migraine (no change in intervention in the last 6 months)

Exclusion Criteria for the healthy group:

  • Participants will not be enrolled if any of the following criteria exist and based on the investigator discretion:

    1. Diagnosis of any chronic pain syndrome

    2. Diagnosis of a neurological, developmental, pubertal, or psychiatric disorder

    3. Taking pain or psychiatric medications regularly

    4. Having an MRI contraindication such as metal in the body or claustrophobia

    5. Not able to understand and communicate in English

      Exclusion Criteria for the migraine group

  • Participants will not be enrolled if any of the following criteria exist and based on the investigator discretion:

    1. Diagnosis of any chronic pain syndrome other than migraine
    2. Diagnosis of a neurological, developmental, pubertal, or psychiatric disorder
    3. Having an MRI contraindication such as metal in the body or claustrophobia
    4. Not able to understand and communicate in English

Trial design

Primary purpose

Other

Allocation

Non-Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

250 participants in 2 patient groups

Family History of Migraine
Other group
Description:
This group has a first degree relative diagnosed with migraine.
Treatment:
Device: Pressure stimuli
Behavioral: Pain ratings
Behavioral: Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) efficiency
Behavioral: Migraine-related measures
Behavioral: Neural assessments
Diagnostic Test: Pubertal status
Device: MRI
Device: Thermal Stimuli
Diagnostic Test: Hormonal assessment
Behavioral: Pressure pain thresholds (PPT)
No Family History of Migraine
Other group
Description:
This group does not have a first or second degree relative diagnosed with migraine.
Treatment:
Device: Pressure stimuli
Behavioral: Pain ratings
Behavioral: Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) efficiency
Behavioral: Migraine-related measures
Behavioral: Neural assessments
Diagnostic Test: Pubertal status
Device: MRI
Device: Thermal Stimuli
Diagnostic Test: Hormonal assessment
Behavioral: Pressure pain thresholds (PPT)

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Central trial contact

Hadas Nahman-Averbuch; Alana McMichael, MA

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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