App-Based Migraine Treatment: The Health enSuite Study

Other illness

• Physical or cognitive impairment that compromises ability to provide informed consent

Age

• Change in medications and/or dietary supplements (herbal supplements, minerals, vitamins) for migraine headache pain in the past month
  • Rationale for Eligibility Criteria:
  • Behavioural and/or psychosocial treatment is not recommended for migraine headache related to conditions such as psychosis, and/or schizophrenia. While behavioral and psychosocial treatments may offer some benefits for individuals with migraine headache related to psychosis and schizophrenia, there are also potential risks to consider. For example, CBT may involve exploring painful feelings and experiences, which could be distressing for individuals with psychosis. This could potentially exacerbate psychotic symptoms or lead to emotional distress. Additionally, some individuals with schizophrenia may have difficulty engaging in CBT due to cognitive impairments, such as difficulty concentrating or remembering information, or paranoia. Therefore, potential participants who have any of these conditions will be excluded from the study.
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding result in hormonal changes that can increase migraine headache symptoms. Thus, guidelines for headache trials highly suggest excluding participants who are planning to be pregnant, currently pregnant or are nursing their infants.
  • The initiation of other treatments for migraine headache at the same time as Health enSuite Migraine could jeopardize the interpretation of the trial results. They are permitted to continue using any pre-existing treatments (medications, dietary supplements, vitamins). If participants are taking any medications/ and or dietary supplements, they must have been taking them for at least one month to be eligible for enrollment in the trial. Participants are asked at the end of the trial if they have started any new medication while using Health enSuite Migraine; if the new medication taken is recognized to have impacted the results, the participant's data will be removed for data analysis.
  • The age range of 18-50 years was chosen to align with the typical demographic most affected by migraine headache and to ensure the app's design and content are appropriate for its intended users. Research indicates that migraine headaches are most prevalent in this age group, with peak incidence occurring during early adulthood and middle age. Additionally, individuals outside this range, such as adolescents or older adults, may have distinct physiological, psychological, and treatment needs that differ from those of the target demographic.
  • For example, older adults often experience migraine headache differently due to age-related comorbidities or medication interactions, which may require specialized interventions beyond the scope of this study or app. Similarly, the app's features and usability are tailored to adults with regular access to technology and familiarity with app-based interventions.
  • The Health enSuite Migraine program being tested in this trial requires the use of an internet-connected device. Health enSuite Migraine can be accessed through the web browser on an electronic device with an internet connection. People who do not have regular access to an internet-connected device are unlikely to benefit from Health enSuite Migraine, and therefore they will be excluded.
  • Participants must have experienced migraine headache pain at least four days out of each month. This criterion is intended to ensure that all participants will experience at least some migraine headache symptoms throughout the study. Chronic daily migraine headaches are especially difficult to treat through psychosocial intervention alone, therefore participants who report migraine headache on more than 20 days per month will be excluded. Apart from the above mentioned 8 criteria points, study eligibility will be evaluated based on one month of daily migraine headache tracking completed at baseline to ensure the participant experiences a migraine headache between 4 to 20 days within the past month

Other

• Diagnosis of psychosis and/or schizophrenia
• Pregnancy, planning pregnancy during the study, or currently breastfeeding

• Fluent in English
• Age 18 to 50 years
• Regular access to an internet-connected device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, or computer)
• Scores 2 or more on the ID Migraine Screener
• Completes at least 50% of the daily entries when asked to use the migraine headache tracker for a 28-day period
• Experiences migraine headache on at least 4 days, but no more than 20 days, within the past month (based on diary data)