The Effects of Expectation and Knowledge on Rizatriptan and Placebo Treatment of Acute Migraine Headache

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients will be considered for this study if they suffer from classical or common migraine for at least 3 years. * Candidates will recruited from the clinical case load of Dr. Zahid Bajwa and the headache and pain management center at BIDMC. * Only patients older than 18 years of age, * Able to communicate clearly in English, * Able to give an informed consent will be considered as candidates. * No limitation of gender or race is justified and thus, it is open to all patients fulfilling criteria for migraine type headache. * Patients will be able to withdraw from the study at any time. * They will be included in the study if they meet the criteria for migraine with or without aura (Headache-classification-committee-of-the-International-Headache-Society 1988), if they had \>4 migraine attacks each month for the previous year. Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusion criteria will include cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disorders, * Cardiac risk factors and liver disease, * Uncontrolled hypertension, * Peripheral and central nervous system disorders that affect sensory functions (such as sensory neuropathies and chronic pain), * The use of opiates or other analgesic drugs for any reason, and the use of other prophylactic anti-migraine drugs. * Any patient with active hepatitis or elevated liver enzymes (based on their BIDMC medical record) will be excluded as well. * Employees who are under the direct supervision of the investigators will not participate in the study.