Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Posttraumatic Headache

N/ACompletedNCT02419131

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio193 enrolled

Overview

The overall purpose of the study is to compare two talk therapies (Clinic-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy-Cognitive Only) for the treatment of posttraumatic headache (PTHA) and co-morbid posttraumatic stress (PTS). The researchers hope to learn if a non-medication, cognitive-behavioral treatment can result in noticeable reductions in PTHA intensity/severity and frequency as well as PTS symptom severity.

More than 100,000 military service members and veterans suffer from chronic headaches resulting from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained during deployment. Although that population has seen a sharp increase in these posttraumatic headaches (PTHA), the condition is extraordinarily difficult to treat. There is very little evidence guiding its management. Complicating things is the fact that those who have suffered a traumatic injury during deployment often have co-occurring symptoms of posttraumatic stress, which may worsen their headaches or make them more difficult to treat. To better inform our understanding of how to help our suffering war veterans, we developed a study for the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP) addressing posttraumatic headache in war veterans with co-occurring symptoms of posttraumatic stress. A key aim of the study will be to evaluate whether a leading psychological therapy for migraine headaches is effective with posttraumatic headaches. Investigators also seek to determine if treatment for PTHA likewise improves problems with PTSD, and whether treatment for PTSD simultaneously alleviates headaches. To accomplish these aims, the study will have three arms, with participants placed randomly into one of three treatment conditions: 1. Treatment as usual (e.g., receiving standard care for PTHA through the South Texas Veterans Health Care System's Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center in San Antonio); 2. A gold standard, manualized cognitive-behavioral intervention for headache; or 3. A gold-standard treatment for PTSD, called Cognitive Processing Therapy.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

193

Conditions

Post-traumatic Headache PTSD

Interventions

Behavioral Headache TherapyBEHAVIORAL

A standard, manualized behavioral intervention for primary headache disorders

Cognitive Processing TherapyBEHAVIORAL

A gold-standard treatment for PTSD, called Cognitive Processing Therapy

Treatment as UsualBEHAVIORAL

Treatment as usual, receiving standard care for PTHA

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 70 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * adult (ages 18 - 70 years old) * U.S. military Veterans with military service during Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF), Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and New Dawn (OND) * have sustained a traumatic head injury * have been diagnosed or report symptoms consistent with chronic (\> 3 months) posttraumatic headache attributed to a traumatic injury sustained as part of military service. We are focusing on chronic PTHA due to the very low likelihood of headache remission after 3 months, the disability associated with chronic PTHA, and the high prevalence of chronic versus acute PTHA in this Veteran population. A positive PTHA diagnosis will be indicated for individuals with de novo headache onset within 3 months of a concussion or exacerbation of pre-existing headache symptoms (increased frequency, duration, or intensity) within 3 months of traumatic injury. This is consistent with the existing ICHD-III criteria for PTHA inclusion will be based on either a pre-existing diagnosis of chronic PTHA documented in the Veteran's medical record by a PRC/PSC provider or a Neurologist (e.g., ICD-10 code G44.329) or through screening with one of our PRC/PSC co-PIs if the Veteran reports symptoms consistent with chronic PTHA but has never had it documented in her/his medical record. * Participants taking headache medication with a stable pattern of use for the prior 6 week period (including no prescribed changes in medical regimen). * Participants must have some posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms based on a cut-off score of at least 25 or above on the PTSD CheckList -Version (PCL-5), which all participants will complete as part of their screening. * Participants must also report on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) an exposure to a traumatic event (Criterion A), at least one intrusion symptom (Criterion B), and at least one avoidance symptom (Criterion C). There is some evidence suggesting 40% comorbidity between PTSD and new onset headache, so it is reasonable to assume that at least half of all PTHA participants recruited for this study will have PTHA and comorbid PTS symptoms. The inclusion of PTS symptoms in this sample is vital based on reports indicating that PTS symptoms and PTSD actually increase vulnerability to PTHA and chronic headache in military populations Exclusion Criteria: * there has been a recent and significant change in the nature of headache symptoms over the last 6 weeks prior to their screening (as determined by the investigators) * Participants currently in CPT or prolonged exposure for PTSD. * Participant has medication overuse headache as defined by the Structured Diagnostic Headache Interview-Revised (Brief Version; SDIHR). * the participant is unable to read or speak English at a 6th grade level * they have had a psychiatric hospitalization in the last 12 months * they currently meet a psychiatric diagnosis of substance abuse \[based on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) assessment during screening\] * they are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during the trial (due to concerns about pregnancy-induced headache that may obscure findings) * if a psychiatric problem is present that warrants immediate treatment based upon clinical judgment * if they demonstrate significant cognitive impairment that could impact treatment adherence/benefit.

Locations (1)

San Antonio VA Medical Center

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Headache-related Disability Scores on the Headache Impact Test 6 (HIT-6)

Baseline headache-related disability will be assessed over time based on headache-related disability scores on the HIT-6 obtained at multiple time points: at the end of 6 weeks of treatment, and at 3 and 6 months post-treatment. The Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) is a questionnaire for measuring the impact of headache. A total of six questions are completed by the patient. They focus on daily activities such as work, education, home situation and leisure time. The HIT-6 gives a general overview of the impact of headache, including pain intensity, impairment and other items. Each of the six questions of the HIT-6 receives a score from 6-13. The final HIT-6 score can range from 36 to 78. A higher score indicates more disability due to headache.

Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks (end of treatment), and 3 and 6 months post-treatment

Scores for Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress on the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5)

Post-traumatic stress scores will be assessed over time. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms. Items on the PCL-5 correspond with DSM-5 criteria for PTSD. Respondents are asked to rate how bothered they have been by each of 20 items in the past month on a 5- point. Likert scale ranging from 0-4. Items are summed to provide a total severity score (range = 0-80). A higher score indicates more PTSD. 0 = Not at all 1 = A little bit 2 = Moderately 3 = Quite a bit 4 = Extremely

Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks (end of treatment), and 3 and 6 months post-treatment

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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