Comparison of the effectiveness of first-line preventive treatment of migraine in primary care: study protocol for a pragmatic clinical trial (PREMI study)
Abstract
Background: Migraine is a neurological disorder affecting approximately 12% of the population, more frequent in women, causing disability. Preventive treatment is recommended to prevent chronification and analgesics' abuse and to improve quality of life, but not all candidates receive it. Common preventive drugs include amitriptyline, flunarizine, propranolol, and topiramate. Their effectiveness and safety have not yet been assessed in our setting. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of these drugs in reducing the monthly migraine days (MMD) and to evaluate their safety.
Methods: Phase IV, pragmatic randomized clinical trial of four parallel groups, open and multicentric, in Primary Care in Catalonia, Spain. We will include adults with migraine eligible for preventive treatment. They will be randomized to the following: (1) propranolol, (2) amitriptyline, (3) flunarizine, or (4) topiramate. The main efficacy measure will be the change in the mean MMD at week 12 in comparison to the mean MMD at baseline. Other secondary efficacy and safety measures will be assessed. The main non-inferiority analysis will be conducted in the per protocol population at week 12, comparing topiramate versus propranolol as the main analysis, and amitriptyline and flunarizine versus propranolol as exploratory analyses.
Discussion: There are epidemiological, clinical and pharmacological sex-differences in migraine which may result in differences in the use of migraine…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
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