Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Chronic Migraine and High Frequency Episodic Migraine in Adolescents: A Pilot Single-Arm Open-Label Study

Licia Grazzi, Eleonora Grignani, Alberto Raggi, Paul Rizzoli and Erika Guastafierro
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Licia Grazzi: Dipartimento Neuroalgologia Centro Cefalee, Fondazione IRRCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milano, Italy
Eleonora Grignani: Dipartimento Neuroalgologia Centro Cefalee, Fondazione IRRCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milano, Italy
Alberto Raggi: UO Neurologia Salute Pubblica e Disabilità, Fondazione IRRCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milano, Italy
Paul Rizzoli: John Graham Headache Center, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Erika Guastafierro: UO Neurologia Salute Pubblica e Disabilità, Fondazione IRRCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milano, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: In this single-arm pilot open-label study we examined the effect of a mindfulness-based intervention on reduction of headache frequency after 12 months in adolescents aged 12–18 with chronic or high-frequency migraine without aura. Adolescents were recruited at the headache center of the C. Besta Neurological Institute and followed-up for 12 months. The mindfulness-based intervention was delivered in small groups and consisted of six weekly group sessions of guided meditation, and one booster session 15 days after. Patients filled in questionnaires assessing headache frequency (primary endpoint), medication intake, disability, anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, and caregivers’ burden. Within-person ANOVA was used to address variation of endpoints over time. Thirty-five out of 37 patients completed the study for primary endpoints, and 33 for secondary endpoints. Headache frequency dropped from 21.3 (95% CI 18.5; 24.1) to 9.6 (95% CI 6.1; 13.1) days per month at 12 months (F = 30.5, p < 0.001); 23 patients out of 35 (65.7%) achieved a headache frequency reduction greater than or equal to 50%. Significant improvements were also reported for medication intake (F = 18.7, p < 0.001), disability (F = 3.8, p = 0.027), trait anxiety (F = 5.1, p = 0.009), symptoms of depression (F = 9.5, p < 0.001), and catastrophizing (F = 23.6, p < 0.001). In conclusions, our study shows a reduction of headache attacks in adolescents who follow a mindfulness-based program, suggesting benefit of this nonpharmacological approach.

Keywords: headache; mindfulness; adolescents; chronic migraine; disability; anxiety; depression; catastrophizing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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