Brain scans and heat tests may predict migraine in teens
NCT ID NCT05654012
First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study investigates what brain and sensory changes happen before and after migraine starts in adolescents aged 10-13. Researchers will use MRI scans and apply mild heat or cold to see how the brain processes pain. The goal is to find factors that predict who will develop migraines and how the condition progresses over time.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could help identify early warning signs for migraine in adolescents, potentially leading to better prevention or treatment strategies.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not directly lead to new therapies, and results may not apply to all adolescents.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2023
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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10 to 13 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria for healthy participants: 1. Age 10-13 2. Males or females (biological sex) 3. Not diagnosed with migraine or having migraine symptoms 4. With a first degree relative diagnosed with migraine (for the Fam-His group) or without a first or a second degree relative diagnosed with migraine (for the No-Fam-His group) Inclusion criteria for participants with migraine: 1. Age 10-13 2. Males or females (biological sex) 3. Diagnosed with migraine or having migraine symptoms 4. Migraine duration \> 6 months 5. Without preventative treatment or with stable preventative treatment for migraine (no change in intervention in the last 6 months) Exclusion Criteria for the healthy group: * Participants will not be enrolled if any of the following criteria exist and based on the investigator discretion: 1. Diagnosis of any chronic pain syndrome 2. Diagnosis of a neurological, developmental, pubertal, or psychiatric disorder 3. Taking pain or psychiatric medications regularly 4. Having an MRI contraindication such as metal in the body or claustrophobia 5. Not able to understand and communicate in English Exclusion Criteria for the migraine group * Participants will not be enrolled if any of the following criteria exist and based on the investigator discretion: 1. Diagnosis of any chronic pain syndrome other than migraine 2. Diagnosis of a neurological, developmental, pubertal, or psychiatric disorder 3. Having an MRI contraindication such as metal in the body or claustrophobia 4. Not able to understand and communicate in English
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Washington University School of Medicine
RECRUITINGSt Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
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