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The Neuroanatomical and Psychological Correlates of Suggestibility in Patients With Non-Responsive Chronic Migraine

NCT07617441 · Status: RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 200

Last updated 2026-06-01

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Chronic migraine is a disabling neurovascular disorder and one of the leading causes of years lived with disability worldwide. Population-based studies report a worrying level of resistance to currently available treatments in clinical practice. For this reason, the clinical and scientific community is increasingly investigating new therapeutic approaches aimed at reducing the burden of symptoms and improving patients' quality of life.

Among the alternative therapeutic approaches explored in migraine research, the placebo effect has emerged as a potentially important mechanism. However, the duration and intensity of its beneficial effects on migraine symptoms are still poorly understood. In particular, there is a need to identify biological and clinical markers that may predict which patients are more likely to benefit from placebo-related mechanisms.

One of the most promising factors is suggestibility, namely the tendency of an individual to respond to suggestions, expectations, or contextual influences. It is possible that patients with non-responsive chronic migraine may show different levels of suggestibility, which could influence the effectiveness of placebo-related responses.

To investigate this hypothesis, it is first necessary to better understand the psychobiological characteristics of patients with non-responsive chronic migraine (NRCM). Therefore, the primary aim of this monocentric observational study is to characterize the neurobiological and psychological profile of individuals affected by NRCM through advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques (connectomics) and a comprehensive battery of psychodiagnostic assessments, including the evaluation of suggestibility.

The study plans to recruit at least 100 patients with NRCM and 100 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. By comparing participants with high and low levels of suggestibility, the study aims to identify new neurobiological profiles (bio-phenotypes) associated with these characteristics. These findings may contribute to future research on the placebo effect and help develop more personalized treatment strategies for patients with chronic migraine who do not respond to conventional therapies.

Conditions

  • Chronic Migraine Headache

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Renato Dulbecco

    collaborator OTHER

  • Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica

    lead OTHER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-07-01
Primary Completion
2028-07-31
Completion
2029-05-31

Countries

  • Italy

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07617441 on ClinicalTrials.gov