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CompletedNCT05536635Updated Sep 19, 2024

Effect of Breathing Techniques on Migraine Attacks and Severity

An interventional study of breathing techniques in Migraine Headaches and Breathing Techniques, sponsored by Dokuz Eylul University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-09-19.

Sponsored by Dokuz Eylul University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
86
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 50 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Background:

Migraine is a very common neurobiological disorder caused by increased excitability of the Central Nervous System. It is among the causes of the highest morbidity worldwide. Migraine has considerable economic and social impact ; affects the quality of life of patients and disrupts work life, social activities and family life. To decrease the frequency and severity of migraine attacks may be the first goal than treating the attacks.

The study was designed as a Parallel Group, Add on, Randomized Controlled Experiment in order to observe the effects of breathing techniques on migraine-like headaches, frequency and severity.

Methods:

Participants will be divided into 2 parallel arms, intervention and control (treatment as usual). Cluster randomization will be performed to prevent intergroup contamination. Breathing techniques will be taught to the intervention group by the researcher. Both groups will continue to use pharmacotherapy for migraine. Both groups will be evaluated with migraine disability level (MIDAS) at the beginning and end of the study. The primary output of the study is to evaluate the effect of breathing techniques on the frequency and severity of attacks in migraine-like headaches. The secondary output is to evaluate the effect of breathing techniques on the MIDAS level.

Discussion:

The results of the study will provide information about the effect of breathing techniques on migraine-like headaches. The results of this study will contribute to the literature, since migraine is among the chronic diseases and pharmacotherapy options are limited.

02

Conditions studied

  • Migraine Headaches
  • Breathing Techniques
03

In context

Respiratory Aspiration

1,092 studies on the registry are indexed under Respiratory Aspiration; 215 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 86 is above the median of 43 across 882 interventional studies indexed under Respiratory Aspiration.

Browse Respiratory Aspiration studies →

Lead sponsor

Dokuz Eylul University is the lead sponsor of 252 studies on the registry; 32 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 50 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Are 18-50 Age
  • Have a computer and/or smart phone
  • Have an internet connection that can be used at home and at work (with a computer or smart phone)
  • Are volunteer to participate in the research
  • Have Frequency of attacks less than 3 months
  • Fulfil diagnostic criteria of migraine like headaches

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe anatomical defect in the airway
  • Pregnancy
  • Having any diagnosed psychiatric disease
  • Using psychiatric medication
  • Having speech and hearing problems
  • Having any chronic disease which may be worsening by taking deep breath
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
86 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    breathing techniques

    The patients in the intervention group will be taught and practiced breathing technique. Breathing techniques will be taught face-to-face by the researcher to the patients in the intervention group. The participant will breathe through one nostril at a natural rate and depth, while the other nostril will be closed with the thumb or forefinger. After the act of breathing, it will open the closed nostril, close the open nostril and breathe naturally. As explained later, they will continue the cycle with the act of breathing. This process is described as a loop.

    Behavioral: breathing techniques

  • No intervention
    treatment as usual

    The control group will continue his/her usual treatment as advised by the physician.

Interventions

  • Behavioralbreathing techniques

    Intervention will be daily use of breathing techniques thought by the researcher as explained in detail in arm/group descriptions

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Determining effects of breathing techniques on migraine like headaches frequency and intensity with "migraine disability assessment " (MIDAS) questionnaire.

    The MIDAS is a self-administered tool to assess migraine-related disability over the previous 3 months . The questionnaire comprises seven questions in total. Three questions assess the number of missed days due to headache. Two questions assess the number of additional days with limited productivity. The total MIDAS score is the sum of the days given as response to these five questions. The total score ranges from 0 to 90 and is used to categorize patients in disability grades I to IV. A higher score means more severe disability.Two additional questions measure headache frequency and average pain intensity. Frequency is noted as the number of days in the previous 3 months on which the patient experienced migraine. Intensity is noted as the average pain intensity of these episodes on a scale of 1-10. These two items are not taken into account when estimating the total MIDAS score.

    Time frame: Three months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Determining effects of breathing techniques to "migraine disability assessment " (MIDAS) scores of migraine patients.

    The MIDAS is a self-administered tool to assess migraine-related disability over the previous 3 months . The questionnaire comprises seven questions in total. Three questions assess the number of missed days due to headache. Two questions assess the number of additional days with limited productivity. The total MIDAS score is the sum of the days given as response to these five questions. The total score ranges from 0 to 90 and is used to categorize patients in disability grades I to IV. A higher score means more severe disability.Two additional questions measure headache frequency and average pain intensity. Frequency is noted as the number of days in the previous 3 months on which the patient experienced migraine. Intensity is noted as the average pain intensity of these episodes on a scale of 1-10. These two items are not taken into account when estimating the total MIDAS score.

    Time frame: Three months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine
    İzmir, Turkey
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Silberstein SD. Migraine. Lancet. 2004 Jan 31;363(9406):381-91. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)15440-8. PubMed 15070571 ↗
  • Burch R, Rizzoli P, Loder E. The Prevalence and Impact of Migraine and Severe Headache in the United States: Figures and Trends From Government Health Studies. Headache. 2018 Apr;58(4):496-505. doi: 10.1111/head.13281. Epub 2018 Mar 12. PubMed 29527677 ↗
  • Ciarambino T, Sansone G, Menna G, Para O, Signoriello G, Leoncini L, Giordano M. Oxygen Therapy in Headache Disorders: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci. 2021 Mar 17;11(3):379. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11030379. PubMed 33802647 ↗
  • Bennett MH, French C, Schnabel A, Wasiak J, Kranke P. Normobaric and hyperbaric oxygen therapy for migraine and cluster headache. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Jul 16;(3):CD005219. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005219.pub2. PubMed 18646121 ↗
  • Singhal AB, Maas MB, Goldstein JN, Mills BB, Chen DW, Ayata C, Kacmarek RM, Topcuoglu MA. High-flow oxygen therapy for treatment of acute migraine: A randomized crossover trial. Cephalalgia. 2017 Jul;37(8):730-736. doi: 10.1177/0333102416651453. Epub 2016 May 20. PubMed 27206964 ↗
  • Matera DV, Smith B, Lam B. Revisiting the expanded use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treatment of resistant migraines. Med Gas Res. 2019 Oct-Dec;9(4):238-240. doi: 10.4103/2045-9912.273963. PubMed 31898611 ↗
  • Bernardi L, Spadacini G, Bellwon J, Hajric R, Roskamm H, Frey AW. Effect of breathing rate on oxygen saturation and exercise performance in chronic heart failure. Lancet. 1998 May 2;351(9112):1308-11. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(97)10341-5. PubMed 9643792 ↗
  • Bilo G, Revera M, Bussotti M, Bonacina D, Styczkiewicz K, Caldara G, Giglio A, Faini A, Giuliano A, Lombardi C, Kawecka-Jaszcz K, Mancia G, Agostoni P, Parati G. Effects of slow deep breathing at high altitude on oxygen saturation, pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49074. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049074. Epub 2012 Nov 12. PubMed 23152851 ↗
  • Russo MA, Santarelli DM, O'Rourke D. The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe (Sheff). 2017 Dec;13(4):298-309. doi: 10.1183/20734735.009817. PubMed 29209423 ↗
  • Spatenkova V, Bednar R, Oravcova G, Melichova A, Kuriscak E. Yogic breathing in hypobaric environment: breathing exercising and its effect on hypobaric hypoxemia and heart rate at 3,650-m elevation. J Exerc Rehabil. 2021 Aug 23;17(4):270-278. doi: 10.12965/jer.2142324.162. eCollection 2021 Aug. PubMed 34527639 ↗
  • Moher D, Jones A, Lepage L; CONSORT Group (Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials). Use of the CONSORT statement and quality of reports of randomized trials: a comparative before-and-after evaluation. JAMA. 2001 Apr 18;285(15):1992-5. doi: 10.1001/jama.285.15.1992. PubMed 11308436 ↗
  • Campbell MK, Elbourne DR, Altman DG; CONSORT group. CONSORT statement: extension to cluster randomised trials. BMJ. 2004 Mar 20;328(7441):702-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.328.7441.702. No abstract available. PubMed 15031246 ↗
  • Campbell MJ, Donner A, Klar N. Developments in cluster randomized trials and Statistics in Medicine. Stat Med. 2007 Jan 15;26(1):2-19. doi: 10.1002/sim.2731. PubMed 17136746 ↗
  • Roberts C, Roberts SA. Design and analysis of clinical trials with clustering effects due to treatment. Clin Trials. 2005;2(2):152-62. doi: 10.1191/1740774505cn076oa. PubMed 16279137 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 19, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05536635
Lead sponsor
Dokuz Eylul University
Responsible party
Oğulcan Çöme (Principal Investigator, Dokuz Eylul University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 13, 2022
Start date
Nov 1, 2022
Primary completion
Jun 1, 2023
Completion
Nov 1, 2023
Last update
Sep 19, 2024

Study contacts

ogulcan D come, MD
principal investigator · Dokuz Eylul University Medical School

Oversight

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

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