Understanding Migraine Changes in Teenagers
Official title: Migraine Prognosis in Adolescents
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11127434 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand why migraine symptoms change in teenagers during puberty, helping us predict who might get better or worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $615,382 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS134986-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11127434 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents aged 10-13 with episodic migraine who have had migraine onset more than six months ago.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not experience migraine or are outside the specified age range would not directly benefit from this particular research.
What this research studies
Migraine affects many children and adolescents, and symptoms can change during puberty, with some experiencing more headaches and others fewer. Currently, we can't predict if a teenager's migraines will improve, stay the same, or worsen over time. This project looks for factors like hormone levels (specifically testosterone), how the body handles pain, and brain activity in areas like the amygdala that might predict these changes. Researchers will follow adolescents with migraine to see how these factors relate to their headache frequency over time. The goal is to discover the underlying reasons for these changes and identify early signs of improvement or worsening.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors predict how a teenager's migraines will evolve and offer more personalized treatment plans.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data suggests that factors like testosterone levels, pain modulation, and brain activity may predict migraine changes, indicating a promising direction for this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nahman-Averbuch, Hadas — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Nahman-Averbuch, Hadas
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.