Tai Chi for the Prophylaxis of Episodic Migraine: the Efficacy Examination and Mechanism Exploration

NCT ID: NCT05690737

Last Updated: 2025-04-03

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 220 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-09-11
• Study Completion Date: 2025-12-31

Brief Summary

The proposed study aims to examine the clinical efficacy of 24-week Tai Chi training in the prophylaxis of episodic migraine comparing with standard prophylactic medication in Hong Kong Chinese women, and to explore the mechanism of Tai Chi's intervention effect by examining the associations of changes in migraine features with neurovascular and neuroinflammation variations.

Detailed Description

A two-arm individual level randomized controlled trial is designed. A total of 220 local women diagnosed with episodic migraine between 18-65 years will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1) a Tai Chi training group receiving the 33-short form Yang-style Tai Chi training; or 2) a standard prophylactic medication group receiving the regular medication prescribed by the neurologist. The intervention period will be 24 weeks with another 24 weeks follow-up. The frequency of migraine attack, migraine days, intensity and duration of headache will be recorded by a migraine diary at the baseline, 24th weeks, and 48th weeks. Other outcomes including migraine related disability, stress, sleep quality, fatigue, and QOL will be measured at these three time points. The clinical efficacy will be determined by comparing the differences of outcomes from baseline to the end of the trial between two groups. The MRI and TCD will be used to measure the degree of white matter abnormality and cerebrovascular function, respectively; and the inflammatory markers will also be tested at three time points for Tai Chi participants. The mechanism of intervention effect will be explored by analyzing the changes and associations of migraine features with the process of these neurovascular functions and inflammatory markers during and after the Tai Chi training.

Conditions

Migraine Disorders

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Tai Chi training

The participants in this arm will receive 24-week Tai Chi training (1 hour per day, 5 days per week) with 24-week follow-up. A modified 33-short form Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan will be adopted.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Tai Chi training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The 24-week Tai Chi training will be prescribed with three 1-hour instructor-led sessions and two 1-hour self-practice sessions per week. A modified 33-short form Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan will be adopted. The Tai Chi sessions will be operated by qualified/certified instructors. Each 1-hour training session will consist of 10 minutes brief warm-up stretching session followed by 45 minutes standard Tai Chi routine activities, and 5 minutes of cool-down stretching. The Tai Chi instructors will have to attend a training session that ensure all of them will deliver the same intervention protocol throughout the study. The research assistant will monitor the fidelity of intervention by visiting the Tai Chi sessions frequently. The training activity will be delivered in group. The group size is 25-30 persons. During the 24 weeks follow-up period, the participants are required to practice Tai Chi with the same frequency by themselves.

Standard prophylactic medication

Participants in this arm will receive 48-week standard migraine prophylactic medication following neurologist's recommendation.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard prophylactic medication

Intervention Type: DRUG

Participants assigned to the control group will follow the collaborated neurologist's recommendation, to take the prophylactic medication. The Multidisciplinary Panel on Neuropathic Pain (MPNP) of Hong Kong has published the treatment algorithm for migraine, which is in line with the guideline of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) on the pharmacological management of migraine (SIGN 155). Beta-blockers, specifically metoprolol and propranolol, are one of the first-line treatments for migraine prophylaxis. The dosage will start on 10mg and slowly increase by 10mg every week until the dosage reached the highest dose of 150mg/day. The whole course will last for 48 weeks. The second line drug such as amitriptyline and the third line drug such as gabapentin will be adopted according to doctor's judgement if necessary. RA will help the participants to make appointment with the neurological doctor, to obtain the prescription. The adverse events will be recorded accordingly.

Interventions

Tai Chi training

The 24-week Tai Chi training will be prescribed with three 1-hour instructor-led sessions and two 1-hour self-practice sessions per week. A modified 33-short form Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan will be adopted. The Tai Chi sessions will be operated by qualified/certified instructors. Each 1-hour training session will consist of 10 minutes brief warm-up stretching session followed by 45 minutes standard Tai Chi routine activities, and 5 minutes of cool-down stretching. The Tai Chi instructors will have to attend a training session that ensure all of them will deliver the same intervention protocol throughout the study. The research assistant will monitor the fidelity of intervention by visiting the Tai Chi sessions frequently. The training activity will be delivered in group. The group size is 25-30 persons. During the 24 weeks follow-up period, the participants are required to practice Tai Chi with the same frequency by themselves.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Standard prophylactic medication

Participants assigned to the control group will follow the collaborated neurologist's recommendation, to take the prophylactic medication. The Multidisciplinary Panel on Neuropathic Pain (MPNP) of Hong Kong has published the treatment algorithm for migraine, which is in line with the guideline of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) on the pharmacological management of migraine (SIGN 155). Beta-blockers, specifically metoprolol and propranolol, are one of the first-line treatments for migraine prophylaxis. The dosage will start on 10mg and slowly increase by 10mg every week until the dosage reached the highest dose of 150mg/day. The whole course will last for 48 weeks. The second line drug such as amitriptyline and the third line drug such as gabapentin will be adopted according to doctor's judgement if necessary. RA will help the participants to make appointment with the neurological doctor, to obtain the prescription. The adverse events will be recorded accordingly.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Chinese woman, aged 18-65 years.
• Have a clinical diagnosis of episodic migraine (migraine with less than 15 attacks per month) with or without aura according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3).
• First migraine attack before the age of 45 years.
• Between two and six migraine attacks in one month.
• At least one of the following migraine characteristics is met: nausea, vomiting, photophobia, or phonophobia.
• Duration of migraine attacks is 2-72 h without acute medication or at least 1 h with acute medication.
• Able to undertake designated level of Tai Chi exercise.
• Live in Hong Kong.

Exclusion Criteria

• Severe migraine attacks with disabilities that cannot perform moderate intensity physical activity.
• Secondary headache and other neurological disease.
• More than 5 days of non-migrainous headache per month.
• Experience with Tai Chi or other body-mind exercises (yoga, biofeedback, medication, etc.) after diagnosis of migraine.
• Undergoing other alternative therapeutic treatments during recruitment period, or received other alternative therapeutic treatments in the past 12 weeks.
• Pregnancy, lactation period, or currently using contraceptives.
• Use of pharmacological prophylactic treatment for migraine in the past 12 weeks.
• Drug abuse, take antipsychotic or antidepressant drugs, or take analgesics for other chronic pain more than 3 days a month in the past 12 weeks.
• Epilepsy, or have a psychiatric disease.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

XIE Yao Jie Grace

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Yao Jie Xie, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Locations

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong, HONG KONG, Hong Kong

Site Status: RECRUITING

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hung Hom, , Hong Kong

Site Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Countries

Hong Kong

Central Contacts

Yao Jie Xie, PhD

Role: CONTACT

grace.yj.xie@polyu.edu.hk

3400 3798 ext. 852

Facility Contacts

Yao Jie Xie, PhD

Role: primary

grace.yj.xie@polyu.edu.hk

852-63135399

Yao Jie Xie, PhD

Role: primary

grace.yj.xie@polyu.edu.hk

(852) 3400 3798

References

Xie YJ, Liao X, Hui SS, Tian L, Yeung WF, Lau AY, Tyrovolas S, Gao Y, Chen X. Tai Chi for the prophylaxis of episodic migraine: protocol of a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial with mechanism exploration. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023 Sep 18;23(1):328. doi: 10.1186/s12906-023-04154-x.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 37723467 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

A0041948

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id