App-Based Migraine Treatment: The Health enSuite Study

January 26, 2026 updated by: Patrick J. McGrath, IWK Health Centre

Evaluating an App-Based Treatment for Migraine: The Health enSuite Migraine Study

Health enSuite is a suite of applications designed by our research team at the Centre of Research in Family Health at IWK Health. These applications evaluate virtual solutions for clinical problems and assist family doctors with their adult patients.

Health enSuite will be utilized by Canadian family physicians targeting insomnia, anxiety, migraine headache, and caregiver distress.

Health enSuite Migraine has been designed to make cognitive and behavioral techniques for managing migraine headache readily available to primary care patients. The online program combines treatment elements that are effective in preventing and managing migraine headache pain, including trigger management, stress management, relaxation techniques, cognitive reappraisal, and psychoeducation.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Headaches are highly prevalent among Canadians and many people visit their primary care provider due to headache symptoms. Headaches can be classified based on frequency (acute, episodic, chronic) and symptom presentation (migraine headache, tension-type, cluster, etc.). Headaches are of concern to many people as the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that in 2016, more than half of people around the world between 16-65 years old reported having headaches. Up to 70% of individuals experience tension headaches, and 8.3% of Canadians are affected by migraine headache.

Headache symptoms can last a few hours to several days and are debilitating as they cause significant pain and distress. Headaches can also negatively impact one's life as they cause problems related to work performance and/or school activities (i.e., not being able to complete an assignment or project on time).

People who seek medical attention from their primary care provider for their headache pain often have difficulty receiving adequate treatment. One of the barriers to the optimal treatment of headaches is that the availability of non-pharmacological, psychosocial treatments is very limited. Although medications can be an important part of effective headache management, the use of non-pharmacological treatments is widely recommended .

Among headache disorders, migraine headaches are particularly debilitating due to their neurological basis, severity, and high burden on daily functioning. Unlike tension-type headaches, migraine headaches involve additional symptoms such as nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia, leading to greater disability. Given this significant impact, our study focuses specifically on developing a digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention for migraine headache sufferers.

The National Canadian Migraine Strategy has recommended self-management patient interventions and patient education to learn skills to manage their symptoms in partnership with their healthcare providers. They have also advocated for the use of non-pharmacological therapies like stress management, skills to avoid triggers causing migraine headache, relaxation therapies, and self-monitoring for the management of migraine headache as part of their chronic disease management program for migraine headache. Although many medications can reduce pain due to migraine headache, their frequent use has associated side effects, and the prolonged use or overuse of medications can also cause migraine headache. Thus, an overreliance on pharmacological treatments and a lack of attention to lifestyle and psychosocial factors contributing to migraine headache symptoms can create sub-optimal outcomes for patients. Therefore, our goal is to develop a CBT program for migraine headache that can be delivered through an internet-connected phone, tablet, or computer and provide effective treatment to a wide range of patients with migraine headache. Health enSuite is a suite of applications designed by our research team at the Centre of Research in Family Health at IWK Health. Health enSuite will be utilized by patients suffering from insomnia, anxiety, migraine headache, and caregiver distress.

Health enSuite Migraine has been designed to make cognitive and behavioral techniques for managing migraine headache readily available to people suffering from migraine headache. The online program combines treatment elements that are effective in preventing and managing migraine headache pain, including trigger management, stress management, relaxation techniques, cognitive reappraisal, and psychoeducation.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

415

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria (for study entry):

  • Fluent in English
  • Age 18 to 50 years
  • Regular access to an internet-connected device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, or computer)
  • Scores 2 or more on the ID Migraine Screener

Inclusion Criteria (for enrollment):

  • Completes at least 50% of the daily entries when asked to use the migraine headache tracker for a 28-day period
  • Experiences migraine headache on at least 4 days, but no more than 20 days, within the past month (based on diary data)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of psychosis and/or schizophrenia
  • Physical or cognitive impairment that compromises ability to provide informed consent
  • Pregnancy, planning pregnancy during the study, or currently breastfeeding
  • Change in medications and/or dietary supplements (herbal supplements, minerals, vitamins) for migraine headache pain in the past month

Rationale for Eligibility Criteria:

Behavioural and/or psychosocial treatment is not recommended for migraine headache related to conditions such as psychosis, and/or schizophrenia. While behavioral and psychosocial treatments may offer some benefits for individuals with migraine headache related to psychosis and schizophrenia, there are also potential risks to consider. For example, CBT may involve exploring painful feelings and experiences, which could be distressing for individuals with psychosis. This could potentially exacerbate psychotic symptoms or lead to emotional distress. Additionally, some individuals with schizophrenia may have difficulty engaging in CBT due to cognitive impairments, such as difficulty concentrating or remembering information, or paranoia. Therefore, potential participants who have any of these conditions will be excluded from the study.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding result in hormonal changes that can increase migraine headache symptoms. Thus, guidelines for headache trials highly suggest excluding participants who are planning to be pregnant, currently pregnant or are nursing their infants.

The initiation of other treatments for migraine headache at the same time as Health enSuite Migraine could jeopardize the interpretation of the trial results. They are permitted to continue using any pre-existing treatments (medications, dietary supplements, vitamins). If participants are taking any medications/ and or dietary supplements, they must have been taking them for at least one month to be eligible for enrollment in the trial. Participants are asked at the end of the trial if they have started any new medication while using Health enSuite Migraine; if the new medication taken is recognized to have impacted the results, the participant's data will be removed for data analysis.

The age range of 18-50 years was chosen to align with the typical demographic most affected by migraine headache and to ensure the app's design and content are appropriate for its intended users. Research indicates that migraine headaches are most prevalent in this age group, with peak incidence occurring during early adulthood and middle age. Additionally, individuals outside this range, such as adolescents or older adults, may have distinct physiological, psychological, and treatment needs that differ from those of the target demographic.

For example, older adults often experience migraine headache differently due to age-related comorbidities or medication interactions, which may require specialized interventions beyond the scope of this study or app. Similarly, the app's features and usability are tailored to adults with regular access to technology and familiarity with app-based interventions.

The Health enSuite Migraine program being tested in this trial requires the use of an internet-connected device. Health enSuite Migraine can be accessed through the web browser on an electronic device with an internet connection. People who do not have regular access to an internet-connected device are unlikely to benefit from Health enSuite Migraine, and therefore they will be excluded.

Participants must have experienced migraine headache pain at least four days out of each month. This criterion is intended to ensure that all participants will experience at least some migraine headache symptoms throughout the study. Chronic daily migraine headaches are especially difficult to treat through psychosocial intervention alone, therefore participants who report migraine headache on more than 20 days per month will be excluded. Apart from the above mentioned 8 criteria points, study eligibility will be evaluated based on one month of daily migraine headache tracking completed at baseline to ensure the participant experiences a migraine headache between 4 to 20 days within the past month

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention
Health enSuite: Migraine has been designed based on established cognitive-behavioral treatments for migraine headache and adapted to fit an automated interactive platform available via an internet-enabled device. The program is divided into a series of treatment modules that will be delivered over 8 weeks. The online program combines treatment elements that are effective in preventing and managing migraine headache pain, including trigger management, stress management, relaxation techniques, cognitive reappraisal, and psychoeducation.
Behavioral: Health enSuite Headache
The program consists of treatment modules delivered over 8 weeks. Modules include topics such as Headaches and Triggers, Relaxation, Breathing, Changing Thoughts, Imagery, Problem Solving, Nutrition, Sleep, Exercise, Medication, and more. Each module features sections like Goals, Getting Started, Let's Talk, and a Quiz, with Let's Practice in four modules. Intervention participants track headaches using a structured tracker to log impacts, daily events (e.g., exposure, strategies, medication), and notes. Control group participants track headaches only at baseline, two months, and five months post-randomization. Weekly reminders ("nudges") encourage app usage, with the same frequency for all users. Reports summarizing daily headache data are available to participants.
No Intervention: Waitlist Control
Participants allocated to the control group will not receive Health enSuite Migraine until after their participation in the trial has ended. During the trial, they will receive treatment as usual and will not be restricted from accessing other standard care services for migraine headache treatment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Migraine Headache Frequency
Time Frame: Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization

Migraine headache frequency will be tracked using the electronic migraine headache tracker within the Health enSuite Migraine app. The outcome is the change from baseline in the number of migraine headache days.

Unit of Measure: Number of migraine headache days per month
Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Responder Rate for Migraine Headache
Time Frame: Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization

Percentage of participants achieving ≥30% reduction in migraine headache days from baseline, measured via the migraine headache tracker.

Unit of Measure: % of participants with ≥30% reduction in headache days.
Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization
Change in Maximum Migraine Headache Intensity
Time Frame: Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization

Maximum headache intensity will be self-reported using the migraine headache tracker.

Unit of Measure: Intensity score (0-10 scale)
Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization
Change in Migraine-Related Functional Impairment (MIDAS)
Time Frame: Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization

The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire will be used to measure functional impairment due to migraine. The outcome is the change in MIDAS total score.

Unit of Measure: MIDAS total score (0-21+)
Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization
Change in Depression Symptoms (PHQ-9)
Time Frame: Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization

Depression symptoms will be measured using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The outcome is the change in PHQ-9 total score.

Unit of Measure: PHQ-9 total score (0-27)
Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization
Changes in Daily Factors Related to Migraine Episodes
Time Frame: Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization

Exploratory assessment of daily self-reported factors (sleep, mood, emotional state, environmental exposures, dietary intake, coping strategies, and medication use) and their association with migraine episodes, as reported in the optional components of the migraine headache tracker.

Unit of Measure: Self-reported diary entries (descriptive/exploratory; no single standardized unit)
Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization
Changes from baseline in daily factors
Time Frame: Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization
such as sleep, mood, emotional state, environmental exposures, dietary intake, coping strategies, and medication use, and their potential associations with migraine episodes, as self-reported in the optional components of the migraine headache tracker.
Baseline assessment, 2 months post randomization, 5 months post randomization

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

IWK Health Centre

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Patrick Patrick, IWK Health Centre

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

February 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 2, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 2, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 22, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 22, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

January 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 26, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 1031367
  • 1018439 (Other Grant/Funding Number: CIHR)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified data sets may be retained and stored within the Centre for Research in Family Health as required for future research or program development, if merited. During Consent, participants will be offered the option of allowing their de-identified study data to be re-used by other approved researchers under the conditions that the research projects are approved by an appropriate ethics board and the researchers sign an agreement ensuring confidentiality and restricting data use only to the approved study. A database will be created containing only the data for those participants who agree will be available to researchers who meet these criteria.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

From study closure to five years post publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

During Consent, participants will be offered the option of allowing their de-identified study data to be re-used by other approved researchers under the conditions that the research projects are approved by an appropriate ethics board and the researchers sign an agreement ensuring confidentiality and restricting data use only to the approved study.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Migraine

Clinical Trials on Health enSuite Headache

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Kosovo

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe