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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04281030

Improving Health Outcomes of Migraine Patients Who Present to the Emergency Department

This is a pilot feasibility acceptability study to examine the impact of smartphone-based progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on migraine quality of life, frequency, intensity, and disability. Feasibility is measured by: a) Proportion of patients who enrolled in the study/were recruited for the study, b) Number of days PMR practiced/week as determined with the backend analytics in the RELAXaHEAD app, c) Minutes/day spent doing PMR, d) Reasons for non-adherence. Acceptability is measured by: a) Satisfaction using Likert scale questions on RELAXaHEAD usability, content, and functionality b) Willingness to repeat a similar treatment intervention in the future (Definitely No/Probably No/Unsure/Probably Yes/ Definitely Yes) c) Attrition. In addition, whether use of electronically based PMR introduced in the emergency department (ED) improves migraine quality of life (MSQv2) and migraine related disability (MIDAS) at 3 months post ED-discharge (or post enrollment date if recruited post ED discharge) compared to those who are not introduced to PMR will be assessed. All participants will be asked to track their headache frequency and intensity using our smartphone application (app) and will be asked to complete migraine quality of life assessments and migraine related disability at follow-up.

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Key information

Conditions

Migraine Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Headache Disorders Headache Disorders, Primary Migraine Disorders Nervous System Diseases

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

NYU Langone

New York, 10003, United States

About this study

While explaining the study, potential participants will be assured that they will receive all of the medication for their acute headache that they would otherwise receive. Once consented, participants will be randomized to PMR therapy or monitored usual care (MUC). Participants will be told that either group is being tested as an enhancement to the care they typically get in the ED for headache. (At the end, they will be informed which group they were in.) The study team will collect participants' health histories (biologic variables) and baseline data in REDCap, download the app onto subjects' smartphones, and conduct the sessions.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Meets migraine criteria and has 4+ headache days a month

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients who have had Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Biofeedback or other Relaxation Therapy in the past year
  • Cognitive deficit or other physical problem with the potential to interfere with behavioral therapy
  • Alcohol or other substance abuse as determined by self-report or prior documentation in the medical record
  • Unable or unwilling to follow a treatment program that relies on written and audio recorded materials
  • Not having a smartphone

Treatment and study plan

PMR (Progressive muscle relaxation therapy)

Behavioral

Technique for learning to monitor and control the state of muscular tension. The relaxation therapy should take about 20 minutes a day.

Monitored Usual Care (MUC)

Behavioral

Subjects will be given basic migraine information such as evidence-based ways to treat migraine: treat early, limit acute medications < 2-3 days/week, and call the primary care physician (PCP) if abortive medications are used more frequently.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) Score

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 3 Post-Discharge

    5-item self-administered questionnaire designed to quantify headache-related disability over a 3-month period. For each item, participants indicate the number of days over the past three months that migraine limited their ability to participant in specific activities.

    The score is the sum responses. Scores are classified as follows:

    • 0 to 5 = Little or no disability (MIDAS Grade I)
    • 6 to 10 = Mild disability (MIDAS Grade II)
    • 11 to 20 = Moderate disability (MIDAS Grade III)
    • 21-40 = Severe disability (MIDAS Grade IV-A)
    • Greater than 40 = Very severe disability (MIDAS Grade IV-B)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Number of Headache Days Based on MIDAS

    Time frame: Baseline

    Information from the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) questionnaire will be used to calculate the number of headache days at baseline.

  2. Change in Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire-Version 2 (MSQv2) - Role Function Restrictive (RFR) Domain Scores

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 3 Post-Discharge

    The MSQv2 is a 14-item self-assessment of how migraines affect a patient's life. 7 of the items assess the Role Function-Restrictive (RFR) Domain, which measures the functional impact of migraine through limitations on daily social and work activities.

    Items are ranked on 6-point Likert scale, where: 1 = None of the time; 2 = A little bit of the time; 3 = Some of the time; 4 = A good bit of time; 5 = Most of the time; and 6 = All of the time.

    The raw dimension score is computed as a sum of item responses and rescaled on a 0-100 scale; higher scores indicate better quality of life.

  3. Change in MSQv2 - Emotional Function (EF) Domain Scores

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 3 Post-Discharge

    The MSQv2 is a 14-item self-assessment of how migraines affect a patient's life. 3 of the items assess the Emotional Function (EF) Domain, which measures the emotional impact of migraine.

    Items are ranked on 6-point Likert scale, where: 1 = None of the time; 2 = A little bit of the time; 3 = Some of the time; 4 = A good bit of time; 5 = Most of the time; and 6 = All of the time.

    The raw dimension score is computed as a sum of item responses and rescaled on a 0-100 scale; higher scores indicate better quality of life.

  4. Change in MSQv2 - Role Function Preventive (RFP) Domain Scores

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 3 Post-Discharge

    The MSQv2 is a 14-item self-assessment of how migraines affect a patient's life. 4 of the items assess the Role Function-Preventive (RFP) Domain, which measures the impact of migraine through prevention of daily work and social activities

    Items are ranked on 6-point Likert scale, where: 1 = None of the time; 2 = A little bit of the time; 3 = Some of the time; 4 = A good bit of time; 5 = Most of the time; and 6 = All of the time.

    The raw dimension score is computed as a sum of item responses and rescaled on a 0-100 scale; higher scores indicate better quality of life.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

NYU Langone Health

Other

Collaborators

  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Feb 21, 2020
Registry last updated
Jul 24, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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