Music Intervention on Migraine Headaches

Despite converging evidence that music interventions are beneficial in a number of pain domains, additional research is needed to understand the impact of a music intervention on the debilitating nature of migraine headaches. Interestingly, a recently developed smartphone application called Music Care has been introduced as a music-intervention tool; however music type is controlled by the individual. A patient-controlled music intervention administered by Music Care has shown to alleviate negative psychological (e.g., depression) and physiological (e.g., pain and discomfort) outcomes associated with general chronic pain. However, no study has examined how music interventions administered via Music Care may be beneficial for individuals who experience migraines, thus potentially highlighting the effects of receptive music techniques in music therapy. Therefore, the present investigation sought to examine the potential benefits of a patient-controlled, 3-month music intervention in individuals diagnosed with migraine headaches using the Music Care application. Patients from the university hospital center Sud Reunion (Saint Pierre, Reunion Island, France) within the Chronic Pain Consultation Group will be evaluated for inclusion in the study and will complete the 3-month music intervention. Participants will complete 1-2 sessions of listening to music per day, with a minimum of 15 sessions per month. The following measures will be collected: the frequency of migraine attacks, the average duration of migraine attacks and the average intensity of migraine attacks. Patients will also rate levels of anxiety and depression associated with migraine headaches via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). The impact migraines have on everyday level of functioning will be evaluated using the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6). This is a pilot study, non-randomized, single arm and single center study.