Combined Effects of Green Light and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Migraine Patients.

Summary

According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, headache disorders are among the most prevalent and disabling conditions worldwide, with estimated 1-year prevalence of migraine (22.5%) in Pakistan, considerably higher than the global 1-year prevalence of 15%.

The treatment options comprise such as lifestyle modifications, behavioral therapy, medication such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, antiepileptic drugs or antibodies against calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or its receptor, and neuromodulation.

One of the non-invasive neuromodulation technique is used in migraine patients .i.e., transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), tDCS is a promising method for migraine treatment delivering a low-intensity current through the scalp by means of electrodes to modulate the state of polarization of the cerebral cortex; depending on the polarity of the electrical stimulation, tDCS can be either anodal(excitatory) or cathodal(inhibitory). Neuromodulation by tDCS is thought to follow Hebbian Theory ("neurons that fire together, wire together"). If presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons are both active, the result is synaptic strengthening; if one or both are inactive, no change occurs. The literature reported significant reduction in migraine days when applying tDCS to the occipital cortex, primary motor cortex, or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The advantages of tDCS treatment are its relatively low cost compared to other neurostimulator methods, safety and generally mild side effects.

Conditions

• Migraine

Interventions

OTHER

tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation protocol involves 20 minutes of anodal stimulation, with the anodal electrode placed over the motor cortex (primary motor area), and cathodal stimulation applied to the contralateral supraorbital area. The intensity of the current will be set to 1.5 mA, with the current density ranging from approximately 0.03 to 0.06 mA, with the electrode measuring of 5x7cm. To ensure a gradual and comfortable experience for participants, the current will ramp up and down over 30 seconds at the beginning and end of each session. Each stimulation session will last for 20 minutes, with participants undergoing five sessions per week. The entire intervention protocol will be carried out over a period of four weeks

OTHER

Green light

Green light exposure will be administered using light with a wavelength of about 520 nm. The sessions will take place in a dimly lit room to minimize external light interference and enhance the therapeutic effect of the green light. Each exposure session will last for 2 hours, with participants receiving 3 to 5 sessions per week. The light intensity will be set to 100 lux, a level that is both safe and effective for migraine treatment. The entire intervention protocol will span over four weeks to allow for sufficient evaluation of the effects. During each session, participants will be seated comfortably in a chair to ensure they are relaxed and able to tolerate light exposure without discomfort.

OTHER

medicine

Advised medicine by the medical doctors will be utilized by the participants of the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mirza Obaid Baig, MSPT · Riphah International University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-04-24

Primary Completion

2026-03-31

Completion

2026-04-30

Countries

• Pakistan

Study Locations