CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05235776CovaxHEADUpdated Jul 3, 2024

New-onset Severe Headache After Covid-19 Vaccine

An observational study in Headache, Migraine and COVID-19, sponsored by Oslo University Hospital. Completed at 10 sites in Norway. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-07-03.

Sponsored by Oslo University Hospital · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
63
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Hypotheses:

  1. Severe new-onset headache after Covid-19 vaccine occur in a minor subset of vaccinated individuals.
  2. Immunological reactivity with activation of trigeminal nociceptors can be among the mechanisms in severe headaches after Covid-19 vaccines.
  3. Biomarkers in blood and CSF and imaging findings can be used to assess severe new-onset headache after Covid-19 vaccines.

The main aim of the project is to describe the characteristics of severe new-onset headache after Covid vaccine and the treatment effects.

Secondary aim:

  1. Investigate potential mechanisms and analyse biomarkers to predict treatment effects.
  2. To assess at baseline and 6-month follow-up the rate of brain MRI pathology.
  3. To assess the change xof brain 18F-FDG PET metabolism from baseline and 6-month follow-up
  4. To assess the levels of brain specific biomarkers
  5. To assess the level of blood specific biomarkers

Duration of Study participation:

  • Enrollment: 24 months
  • Follow-up: at 3 and 6 months after inclusion. For those with continued severe headache regular 3-month controls are planned during the study.

Total study duration 24 months

Read the detailed description

Study Design: Prospective observational multi-center study

Cohort study of patients with new-onset severe headache after Covid-19 vaccine. Patients referred to the participating headache clinics for severe headache after Covid vaccine will be invited to participate in the study. The invitation will be given in conjunction with their visit to the headache specialist. Patients already diagnosed and treated for severe headache after Covid vaccine will be invited to participate during control visits at the participating centres. After written informed consent information information from the initial phases will be collected retrospectively from the medical records of the patients that have already been diagnosed and started with treatment. Further information will be collected prospectively. For newly diagnosed patients all information will be collected prospectively. Blood samples will be drawn to assess immunological mechanisms.

Inclusion criteria:

  • Patients aged ≥ 18 years with new onset severe headache or severe worsening of pre-existing headache within one week after Covid vaccination and has not resolved within 3 weeks.
  • Inclusion within 12 months after symptom onset.
  • Informed written consent signed by the patient.

Exclusion criteria:

  • Patients not available for follow-up assessments (e.g. non-resident).
02

Conditions studied

  • Headache
  • Migraine
  • COVID-19
03

In context

COVID-19

7,638 studies on the registry are indexed under COVID-19; 488 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 63 is below the median of 260 across 3,135 observational studies indexed under COVID-19.

Browse COVID-19 studies →

Lead sponsor

Oslo University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 810 studies on the registry; 148 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Cohort study of patients with new-onset severe headache after Covid-19 vaccine. Patients referred to the participating headache clinics for severe headache after Covid vaccine will be invited to participate in the study. The invitation will be given in conjunction with their visit to the headache specialist. Patients already diagnosed and treated for severe headache after Covid vaccine will be invited to participate during control visits at the participating centres. After written informed consent information information from the initial phases will be collected retrospectively from the medical records of the patients that have already been diagnosed and started with treatment. Further information will be collected prospectively. For newly diagnosed patients all information will be collected prospectively. Blood samples will be drawn to assess immunological mechanisms

IInclusion criteria:

  • Patients aged ≥ 18 years with new onset severe headache or severe worsening of pre-existing headache within one week after Covid vaccination and has not resolved within 3 weeks.

Inclusion criteria

  • Informed written consent signed by the patient.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria:

  • Patients not available for follow-up assessments (e.g. non-resident).
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
63 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Interventions

  • Otherobservation

    observation

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Characteristics of the of new onset headache after Covid vaccination

    qualitative description

    Time frame: at inclusion

  2. Characteristics of the of new onset headache after Covid vaccination

    qualitative description

    Time frame: 6 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Days with headache ((defined by headache intensity > 0 and/ patient's acute headache medication)

    number of days

    Time frame: at inclusion

  2. Days with headache ((defined by headache intensity > 0 and/ patient's acute headache medication)

    number of days

    Time frame: at 6 months

  3. Headache intensity (0-3 scale) on days with headache at baseline

    Headache intensity, number

    Time frame: at inclusion

  4. Duration of new onset headache after Covid vaccination at baseline

    number of hours

    Time frame: at inclusion

  5. Duration of new onset headache after Covid vaccination at 6 months follow-up

    number of hours

    Time frame: at 6 months

  6. The six item Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) score at baseline

    HIT-6 score

    Time frame: at inclusion

  7. The six item Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) score at 6 months follow-up

    HIT-6 score

    Time frame: at 6 months

  8. The rate of brain MRI pathology at baseline

    description of MRI pathology

    Time frame: at inclusion

  9. The change of brain 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolism

    description of brain 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolism

    Time frame: 6 months

  10. The levels of brain specific biomarkers

    The levels of brain specific biomarkers

    Time frame: at inclusion

  11. The level of blood specific biomarkers

    The levels of brain specific biomarkers

    Time frame: at 6 months

07

Study locations

10 sites
  • Hodepineklinikkken Bergen
    Bergen, Norway
  • Anub Mathew Thomas
    Drammen, Norway
  • Helsa Fonna Trust
    Haugesund, Norway
  • Møre og Romsdal Hospital Trust
    Molde, Norway
  • Kristina Devik
    Namsos, Norway
  • Oslo University Hospital
    Oslo, 0424, Norway
  • Hodeverket
    Sandnes, Norway
  • Sandvika Nevrosenter
    Sandvika, Norway
  • St Olav University Hospital
    Trondheim, Norway
  • Medi3
    Ålesund, Norway
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 3, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05235776
Lead sponsor
Oslo University Hospital
Collaborators
St. Olavs Hospital, University Hospital, Akershus, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Hodepineklinikken Bergen, Molde Hospital, Namsos Hospital, Medi3, Oslo Hodepinesenter, Sandvika Nevrosenter
Responsible party
Anne Hege Aamodt (Dr., Oslo University Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 11, 2022
Start date
Jan 1, 2022
Primary completion
Oct 1, 2023
Completion
Dec 31, 2023
Last update
Jul 3, 2024

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion