Biofeedback-VR for Treatment of Chronic Migraine

NCT ID: NCT05720819

Last Updated: 2023-02-09

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-09-09

Study Completion Date

2022-03-01

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Migraine is a common, debilitating neurologic condition affecting more than 900 million individuals worldwide. Established treatments for migraine include medications, vitamin and herbal supplements, neuromodulation, and behavioral treatment strategies. This study aims to determine whether a novel, home-based behavioral approach, combined biofeedback-virtual reality therapy, can improve self-reported migraine-related outcomes in individuals living with chronic migraine.

In this randomized, controlled pilot study, 50 adults with chronic migraine are randomized to the experimental group (frequent use of a heart rate variability biofeedback-virtual reality device plus standard medical care; n=25) or wait-list control group (standard medical care alone; n=25). The primary outcome is reduction in mean monthly headache days between groups at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include mean change in acute analgesic use frequency, depression, migraine-related disability, stress, insomnia, and catastrophizing between groups at 12 weeks. Tertiary outcomes include change in heart rate variability and device-related user experience measures.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Chronic migraine (CM) is a debilitating neurologic condition affecting 1-2% of the population. By definition, individuals with CM experience at least 15 headache days per month (including at least 8 migraine days) for more than 3 months. In addition to frequent, debilitating headaches, CM is associated with increased rates of headache-related disability, psychiatric comorbidity, pain catastrophizing, insomnia, risk of medication overuse headache, and healthcare resource utilization.

Established treatments for migraine include medications, vitamin and herbal supplements, neuromodulation, and behavioral treatment strategies. Our study aims to determine whether a novel, home-based behavioral approach, combined biofeedback-virtual reality therapy, can improve self-reported migraine-related outcomes in individuals living with chronic migraine.

In this randomized, controlled pilot study, 50 adults with chronic migraine are randomized to the experimental group (frequent use of a heart rate variability biofeedback-virtual reality device plus standard medical care; n=25) or wait-list control group (standard medical care alone; n=25). The primary outcome is reduction in mean monthly headache days between groups at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include mean change in acute analgesic use frequency, depression, migraine-related disability, stress, insomnia, and catastrophizing between groups at 12 weeks. Tertiary outcomes include change in heart rate variability and device-related user experience measures.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Chronic Migraine Behavioral Treatment Biofeedback Virtual Reality Medication Overuse Headache

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

This study is a randomized, pilot study comparing the intervention of combined biofeedback-VR plus standard medical care as treatment for chronic migraine versus a wait-list control group receiving standard medical care alone as treatment for chronic migraine.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Intervention Group (Biofeedback-VR intervention plus standard clinical care)

This arm includes individuals with chronic migraine receiving the home-based biofeedback-VR intervention plus standard medical care as treatment for chronic migraine

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Combined biofeedback-virtual reality device

Intervention Type DEVICE

The study's biofeedback-VR device was developed in collaboration with students and faculty at the University of Washington Global Innovation Exchange program. The system included an Oculus Go mobile VR headset (wireless, portable, head-mounted display, with screen providing a 101° field of view with 2560 x 1440 resolution at a 60-72 Hz frame rate; Oculus VR, LLC, Menlo Park, CA/USA) and with built-in speaker, in addition to a Polar H10 heart rate monitor (electrocardiogram, or ECG, to measure heart rate; Polar Electro Inc., Bethpage, NY/USA), with customized software programmed for the study using the Unity3D game engine (Unity Technologies, Bellevue, WA/USA). Individuals in the experimental arm are asked to use this device for 10 minutes daily, on at least 3 days per week.

Control Group (standard clinical care alone)

This arm, a wait-list control group, includes individuals with chronic migraine receiving standard medical care alone as treatment for chronic migraine.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Combined biofeedback-virtual reality device

The study's biofeedback-VR device was developed in collaboration with students and faculty at the University of Washington Global Innovation Exchange program. The system included an Oculus Go mobile VR headset (wireless, portable, head-mounted display, with screen providing a 101° field of view with 2560 x 1440 resolution at a 60-72 Hz frame rate; Oculus VR, LLC, Menlo Park, CA/USA) and with built-in speaker, in addition to a Polar H10 heart rate monitor (electrocardiogram, or ECG, to measure heart rate; Polar Electro Inc., Bethpage, NY/USA), with customized software programmed for the study using the Unity3D game engine (Unity Technologies, Bellevue, WA/USA). Individuals in the experimental arm are asked to use this device for 10 minutes daily, on at least 3 days per week.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Diagnosis of International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICDH-3 beta) criteria for chronic migraine
* Individuals having experienced least 15 headache days per month (including at least 8 migraine days per month) in the preceding 3 months
* Ability to speak English or Spanish

Exclusion Criteria

* Individuals with cognitive impairment, severe psychiatric comorbidities (including active suicidal or homicidal ideation and/or psychosis), hearing/seeing difficulties, epileptic or non-epileptic seizures, and prisoners.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

85 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

University of California, San Francisco

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Washington

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Ami Cuneo

Acting Assistant Professor, School of Medicine

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Ami Z Cuneo, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Washington

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington, United States

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

STUDY00010685

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Chronic Migraines and Neurofdeeback Mindfulness
NCT06342219 NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA
App-based Breathing Program for Migraine Relief
NCT07297901 ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION NA
A Study of Wearable Devices to Predict Migraines
NCT05755945 ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION NA