Greater Occipital Nerve Blockade and Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blockade in Patients With Episodic Migraine

Comparative Efficacy of Greater Occipital Nerve Blockade and Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blockade in Patients With Episodic Migraine

This study compares the effectiveness of greater occipital nerve blockade and sphenopalatine ganglion blockade in reducing headache intensity, duration, frequency, and disability in patients with episodic migraine.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Episodic Migraine; Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block; Greater Occipital Nerve Block
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Greater occipital nerve blockade; Other: Sphenopalatine ganglion blockade

Detailed Description

Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headaches, affecting millions globally. Peripheral nerve blocks such as Greater Occipital Nerve (GON) and Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) blockade have emerged as promising non-pharmacologic treatments.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • New Valley, Egypt, 72511
    • New Valley University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 18-65 years.
• Both sexes.
• Diagnosed with episodic migraine per the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3).
• Failure to achieve adequate relief with at least one prophylactic migraine treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Chronic migraine (≥15 headache days per month).
• History of nerve blocks within the last 6 months.
• Known allergy to anesthetic agents.
• Pregnancy or lactation.
• Active psychiatric conditions affecting compliance.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Greater occipital nerve blockade group; Patients will receive greater occipital nerve blockade using 2 mL of 2% lidocaine at the medial one-third of the line between the occipital protuberance and mastoid process.	Other: Greater occipital nerve blockade; Patients will receive greater occipital nerve blockade using 2 mL of 2% lidocaine at the medial one-third of the line between the occipital protuberance and mastoid process.
Experimental: Sphenopalatine ganglion blockade group; Patients will receive greater sphenopalatine ganglion blockade using 2 mL of 2% lidocaine using a transnasal approach with a cotton swab inserted along the superior middle turbinate to the posterior nasopharyngeal wall.	Other: Sphenopalatine ganglion blockade; Patients will receive greater sphenopalatine ganglion blockade using 2 mL of 2% lidocaine using a transnasal approach with a cotton swab inserted along the superior middle turbinate to the posterior nasopharyngeal wall.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Degree of headache intensity	Reduction in headache intensity will be recorded using numeric rating scale (NRS). Each patient will be instructed about pain assessment with NRS score. NRS (0 represents "no pain" while 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable").	3 months post-procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Migraine disability assessment score	The migraine disability assessment scores are as follows: little or no disability, 5 to 10; moderate disability, 1 to 20; and severe disability, more than 20.	3 months post-procedure
Headache duration	Headache duration will be recorded.	3 months post-procedure
Headache frequency	Headache frequency will be recorded.	3 months post-procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: New Valley University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 3, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 3, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 21, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 21, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): May 30, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 21, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neoplasms; Connective Tissue Diseases; Headache Disorders, Primary; Headache Disorders; Cysts; Mucinoses; Migraine Disorders; Ganglion Cysts; Synovial Cyst; Anti-Infective Agents; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Trace Elements; Micronutrients; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Iodine
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20250430007

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: The data will be available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author after the end of study for one year.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: After the end of study for one year.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: The data will be available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No