Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Stress Reduction Training for Migraine

NCT ID: NCT03592329

Last Updated: 2025-06-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

193 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-08-20

Study Completion Date

2025-05-29

Brief Summary

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This study design has two components: 1) a cross-sectional assessment of brain activity and inflammation in migraine patients compared to healthy controls and 2) an assessment of 8 weeks of a combination therapy approach to treating migraine.

Detailed Description

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Chronic pain is the most prevalent and disabling medical condition, and no single therapy has proven to be completely successful for alleviating pain, such as migraine headache. It is well documented, and recommended in the recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, that a multimodal approach is optimal for pain management. This study will evaluate a combination transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation and stress reduction training for migraine.

Investigators will recruit participants who have migraines and randomize to one of four potential treatment arms (real or sham stimulation + real or sham stress reduction training). Brain imaging (MRI and PET) and clinical data will be collected before and after 8 weeks of the combination therapy.

Healthy controls will also be recruited for collection of the same baseline brain imaging and clinical data, but with no treatment or second data collection phase.

Findings from this research will help elucidate brain activity and inflammation associated with migraines and evaluate the efficacy of the combination therapy in reducing migraine.

Conditions

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Migraine

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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active tVNS + SRT A

active tVNS and Stress Reduction Training A

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Stress Reduction Training A

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

twice weekly "booster" sessions and weekly instructor-led sessions for 8 weeks plus home practice sessions

active tVNS

Intervention Type DEVICE

non-painful electrical stimulation of the auricle

active tVNS + SRT B

active tVNS and Stress Reduction Training B

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

active tVNS

Intervention Type DEVICE

non-painful electrical stimulation of the auricle

Stress Reduction Training B

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

twice weekly "booster" sessions and weekly instructor-led sessions for 8 weeks plus home practice sessions

sham tVNS + SRT A

sham stimulation and Stress Reduction Training A

Group Type OTHER

Stress Reduction Training A

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

twice weekly "booster" sessions and weekly instructor-led sessions for 8 weeks plus home practice sessions

sham tVNS

Intervention Type DEVICE

sham stimulation

sham tVNS + SRT B

sham tVNS and Stress Reduction Training B

Group Type OTHER

Stress Reduction Training B

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

twice weekly "booster" sessions and weekly instructor-led sessions for 8 weeks plus home practice sessions

sham tVNS

Intervention Type DEVICE

sham stimulation

Interventions

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Stress Reduction Training A

twice weekly "booster" sessions and weekly instructor-led sessions for 8 weeks plus home practice sessions

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

active tVNS

non-painful electrical stimulation of the auricle

Intervention Type DEVICE

Stress Reduction Training B

twice weekly "booster" sessions and weekly instructor-led sessions for 8 weeks plus home practice sessions

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

sham tVNS

sham stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

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SRT A transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation SRT B

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Subjects must be between 18 and 65 years of age.
2. Migraine Diagnosis and general health otherwise.
3. Willingness to attend twice- weekly treatment session at Cambridge Health Alliance for 8 weeks.
4. Able to give written consent and participate in group interventions in English.

Healthy Volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65 can participate in this study.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Major illness, psychiatric condition, or neurological disease.
2. Previous experience with stress reduction training (such as mindfulness training, MBSR, MBCT, Relaxation Response) or more than 15 home mediation practice sessions in the past month, or more than 10 classes in yoga, Tai Chi, or Qi Gong in the past 3 months
3. Any condition that would prohibit MRI scanning

Healthy Volunteers have the same eligibility constraints with the addition of current or past history of migraine.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Massachusetts General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Vitaly Napadow, Ph.D., Lic.Ac.

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Vitaly Napadow, PhD,Lic.Ac.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Massachusetts General Hospital

Locations

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Anthinoula A. Martinos Center

Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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P01AT009965

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2018P001184

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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