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A Nutritional Intervention for Migraines

This study has been completed.
Sponsor:
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01547494
First received: February 27, 2012
Last updated: May 13, 2013
Last verified: May 2013
History of Changes
  Purpose

The purpose of the study is to assess whether, in individuals with migraines, a low-fat, vegan diet improves pain more effectively than a control supplement or a placebo. The principal measures are pain as measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the change in migraines frequency. The study duration is 36 weeks.


Condition Intervention
Migraines
 Other: Vegan Diet
Dietary Supplement: mixture of omega3 and vitamins

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Official Title: A Nutritional Intervention for Migraines

Resource links provided by NLM:

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Migraines Pain Change in Migraines frequency [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Pain as measured by VAS score

  • Change in Migraines frequency [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    the reduction in the number of migraine attacks.


Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • Quality of life [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
    Health related quality of life as measured by a questionnaire


Enrollment: 16
Study Start Date: September 2011
Study Completion Date: October 2012
Primary Completion Date: October 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Arms Assigned Interventions
Placebo Comparator: Dietary Supplement Other: Vegan Diet
Vegan diet, which is devoid of animal products and minimal in fat
Experimental: Vegan Diet Dietary Supplement: mixture of omega3 and vitamins
mixture of omega3 and vitamins

Detailed Description:

Preliminary evidence suggests that low-fat, vegetarian diets and certain nutritional supplements can help reduce pain and also reduce the need for pain medications for some people. We will ask about 100 people to participate. All of them will get a low-fat, vegan diet and a nutritional supplement (mixture of omega-3 oils and vitamin E or a placebo), although some will get the diet first, and others will get the supplement first. This order in which they will get the diet and the supplement will be determined randomly, that is, by chance (like the toss of a coin). The principal measures are pain as measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)and the change in migraines frequency.

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years and older
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. A diagnosis of migraine, as defined by the criteria of the second edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders18

    • At least 5 attacks fulfilling criteria the criteria below
    • Headache attacks lasting 4-72 hours (untreated or unsuccessfully treated)

    • Headache has at least two of the following characteristics:

      • unilateral location
      • pulsating quality
      • moderate or severe pain intensity
      • aggravation by or causing avoidance of routine physical activity (eg, walking or climbing stairs)

    • During headache at least one of the following:

      • nausea and/or vomiting
      • photophobia and phonophobia
    • Not attributed to another disorder
  2. Migraines occurring at least twice per month, on average.
  3. Age at least 18 years
  4. Ability and willingness to participate in all components of the study
  5. Willingness to be assigned to either the diet group or supplement group
  6. Migraine medications unchanged within last 6 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. < 18 years of age
  2. Alcohol consumption of more than 2 drinks per day or the equivalent, episodic increased drinking (e.g., more than 2 drinks per day on weekends), or a history of alcohol abuse or dependency followed by any current use
  3. Use of recreational drugs in the past 6 months (past drug use, if fully recovered, is not a criteria for exclusion)
  4. Pregnancy
  5. Unstable medical or psychiatric illness
  6. Likely to be disruptive in group sessions (as determined by research staff)
  7. Already following a low-fat, vegan diet
  8. Lack of English fluency
  9. Inability to maintain current medication regimen
  10. Inability or unwillingness to participate in all components of the study
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01547494

Locations
United States, District of Columbia
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20016
Sponsors and Collaborators
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
  More Information

No publications provided

Responsible Party: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01547494     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: WCCR-MIG1
Study First Received: February 27, 2012
Last Updated: May 13, 2013
Health Authority: United States: Institutional Review Board

Keywords provided by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:
Migraines
Diet, Vegetarian
Diet, Fat-Restricted
Pain

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Food Habits
Migraine Disorders
Habits
Headache Disorders, Primary
Headache Disorders
Brain Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
 Nervous System Diseases
Vitamins
Micronutrients
Growth Substances
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Pharmacologic Actions

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 19, 2013