Does Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Improve Disability in Chronic Migraine? A Randomized Headache Center Trial
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the behavioral treatment called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) works to improve disability in adults with chronic migraine. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the use of ACT added to usual treatment improve scores on questionnaires designed to measure daily functioning and activity? Does the use of ACT added to usual treatment improve scores on diaries designed to measure headache frequency and pain? Researchers will compare adding ACT to usual headache treatments to usual headache treatments without ACT. Participants who are selected for ACT will take 8 classes to learn ACT and then will practice it at home, in addition to their regular headache treatment. Those not selected will continue their regular headache treatment. Four times over the following year, participants will answer questions about their symptoms during each of four virtual visits. They will also keep a daily headache diary during the study
Description
Background and Significance Chronic migraine prevalence is 3% of the migraine population, though the majority of patients seen in a headache center and is often a disabling condition. Pharmacologic management has expanded and improved in recent years though it nonetheless provides incomplete control in many patients. Even the best specialty headache clinic management falls short in providing relief to some chronic migraine patients. Behavioral therapies have shown efficacy in pain conditions, including migraine. Behavioral treatments may improve disability related to headache more so than hea…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Willingness and ability to engage in the consent process * Willingness to participate in the study, despite randomization outcome * Availability for the duration of the study * Diagnosis of chronic migraine followed at the Graham Headache Center * Access to the necessary resources for participating in a technology-based intervention Exclusion Criteria: * Known major depression or other psychiatric condition * Non-English speaking * Secondary headache diagnosis * Psychotherapy in the prior 18 months * Any reason the provider feels would limit participant ability to lear…
Interventions
- Behavioralacceptance and commitment therapy
a 'third wave behavioral management
Location
- Brigham and Women's / Faulkner HospitalBoston, Massachusetts