Smartphone Use Restriction as Treatment of Primary Headache

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorAll India Institute of Medical Sciences

About this trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to study smartphone use restriction as a treatment modality in patients of primary headache. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are:

1. In patients with primary headache, does restriction of smartphone use lead to reduced consumption of medications (acute, prophylaxis, either or both)? 2. In patients with primary headache, does restriction of smartphone use lead to better responsiveness to medications (acute, prophylaxis, either or both)? 3. Can reduction of smartphone duration be used as a non-pharmacological treatment of primary headache? 4. In patients with primary headache, is the type of smartphone use (phone calls, internet browsing, watching screen) determinant of the severity of headache? 5. Can we make an addiction score to predict which patient should be advised to limit smartphone use based on the above information? 6. In patients with primary headache, does restriction of smartphone use led to improvement in headache severity (frequency, intensity, duration, one of them or all).

The smartphone users may further be classified into low and high smartphone users depending upon the smartphone addiction questionnaire (SAQ) (appendix 1) usage score. SUs with 0-1 score on the SAQ were further grouped into low SUs, and patients with score ≥1 were grouped into high SUs. To create a homogenous group, only patients with high SU will be randomized to standard treatment (Arm C) and intervention group (Arm D).

Participants will be asked about their smartphone usage, and if found eligible, there will be a run-in period of 4 weeks after which they will be randomized to the intervention (smartphone restriction) or comparison group (no restriction recommended)

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Patients ≥18 years of age

Diagnosis of primary headache as per the ICHD3Beta classification ("ICHD-3 The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd Edition" n.d.)

Willing and consenting to participate in the study.

Disqualifiers

1. Secondary headaches 2. Not consenting for participation or follow up

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Smartphone restriction

Treatment groups

60 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups

Sponsors and collaborators

All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Lead sponsor

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India

Collaborator