7T MRI scans for migraine, visual snow, and epilepsy
High-field MR Imaging in Migraine, Visual Snow and Epilepsy
This project will use high-field 7T MRI to try to find microstructural and network differences in people with migraine, visual snow, or drug‑resistant epilepsy and in healthy volunteers.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Zurich Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Zurich and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT05524493 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Researchers will recruit people with migraine, visual snow syndrome, drug‑resistant epilepsy, and healthy controls and scan them on a clinical 7T Terra Siemens MRI. Multimodal imaging will include structural, quantitative, diffusion, functional MRI and MR spectroscopy to characterize microstructure and network changes. Participants will also complete clinical assessments and questionnaires (including the HARDSHIP migraine questionnaire) and provide medication history. The goal is to compare disease‑specific brain regions and networks across groups to better understand shared and distinct pathophysiology.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults able to give informed consent who have migraine (≥2 attacks/month), drug‑resistant epilepsy by ILAE criteria, or visual snow syndrome, with stable prophylactic medication for at least two months, and healthy volunteers without migraine or epilepsy for the control group.
Not a fit: Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding, planning pregnancy during the study, recently treated with Botox for migraine (<4 months), unable to undergo 7T MRI (e.g., incompatible implants or severe claustrophobia), or seeking immediate therapeutic interventions are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify imaging signatures that help improve diagnosis and guide future targeted therapies for these disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Previous high‑field and multimodal MRI studies have shown promising microstructural and functional differences in migraine and epilepsy, but combining migraine, visual snow and drug‑resistant epilepsy in a single 7T protocol is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Patients: * Patient must be able to read and sign the informed consent form * Stable prophylactic medication for 2 months prior to MRI * At leat one of the two criteria applies: * Patients diagnosed with migraine (with or without aura, episodic or chronic). Diagnosis is ensured by clinical interview (at least 8 weeks prior to MRI). Also, patients complete a migraine questionnaire (HARDSHIP) (at least 8 weeks before MRI). Migraine frequency ≥ 2 migraine attacks/month. * Patients with drug resistent epilepsy accroding to ILAE crtieria * Patients with diagnoses of Visual snow syndrome Healthy participants; * No migraine (validated by questionnaire) or epilepsy * Participants must be able to read and sign the informed consent form Exclusion Criteria: * Treatment of migraine disease with Botox within \< 4 months before baseline and during the study period * Pregnant or breastfeeding women * Intention during the course of the trial to become pregnant * Women with bilateral ovariectomy, with or without hysterectomy, and postmenopausal women (\>2 years of age) are not considered childbearing. * Other clinically significant comorbidities (e.g., renal insufficiency, hepatic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, etc.), * Known or suspected noncompliance with the protocol, drug or alcohol abuse, * Patient's inability to follow trial procedures, e.g., due to language problems, mental illness, dementia, etc., * Prior participation in the clinical trial * Enrolment of the investigator, his/ her family members, employees and other dependent persons of the test personnel * Metallic objects in the body (e.g., splinters, MR incompatible implants). * Pacemaker * Claustrophobia * Obesity (body mass index \> 35 kg/m2)
Where this trial is running
Zurich and 1 other locations
- Klinik Lengg — Zurich, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- University Hospital Zurich — Zurich, Switzerland (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Patrick Freund, Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. — University of Zurich
- Study coordinator: Lynn Farner, MSc
- Email: lynn.farner@balgrist.ch
- Phone: +41 44 510 72 08
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.